The Value of Forever
by Moon's Envoy
Summary: This fic tells about how Undertaker first came into contact with the Phantomhive family in the 16th century. Sent there he has to reap the soul of Edward Phantomhive, only to fall in love with the boy's sister. But loving a human, loving a Phantomhive, is something only the most foolish or insane of death gods should ever do.
1. All at Once

|Note : at the moment this was written Undertaker's name had not yet been revealed, nor is his relationship with the Phantomhive family sufficiently clear. This originally was supposed to stay a one-shot but I'm bored and procrastinating on my other fics, so there will be more to read after this chapter, albeit in shorter chunks. That being said, I'm keeping the fic listed as complete because of it's original one-shot status. Because I don't make any sense at all.  
Keep in mind that at the start of the fic Undertaker isn't his wacky self just yet, but he will be starting from chapter 2.

Important-ish for people who haven't read my Sebastian fic : Madeleine is my OC from there but she has a past with UT as well. This fic plays further on what would have happened had she met him instead of Sebastian. Happy reading!|

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|England, 16th century|

Undertaker crossed of the last name on his list for the day. The night shift would be picking up from here on out which meant all he had to do was report his findings and be done with it. Not that there was anything to say. People had died like they always did. Every day was the same, time never leaving an impression on his mind. All humans remained the same, no matter how many were born and died every hour.

"Miss Parker, good night to you." He mumbled, jotting the word 'nothing extraordinary' next to the woman's name. From the other room he could hear the squalling of a baby for its mother. He collected the soul by opening up his book. Once the name turned golden he snapped it shut and turned around. A portal opened quickly, blowing long strands of fine, silver hair away from his face.

Was there anything other than this? Undertaker sometimes found the thought creeping in his mind before he dismissed it. For a Reapers only companions were their Scythe and the eternal ticking of the clock. He smiled automatically to one of the apprentices, adjusting his square glasses as he did so. The youth ran off, excited at having been smiled at by one of THE Reapers.

"Evening, Julius." Undertaker said, handing over his book when he entered the room. Julius accepted the book with a subdued smile, depositing the souls in a file from where they would be redistributed. When he got back the little booklet he raised his hand in half a wave, turning his back on his superior. "Night."

"Wait a minute, Undertaker." Julius piped up, taking his thick glasses from his nose. Polishing the oval-shaped glass Julius leaned back, his jet-black bangs shielding one eye as he spoke.  
"You've been doing a good… no, a great job out there. You're punctual, neat and never let a human see you. The clean-up crew hardly knows your name which is a great thing, let me tell you that. In fact, the higher-ups have a job for you."

"The angels have an assignment for me?" Undertaker couldn't help but raise his eyebrows. Receiving an assignment directly from the Upper Realm was a rarity.

Julius shook his head. "Not from any angel. Archangel Rafael specifically requested I have my top man reaping this particular soul. Seems like they are meddling with things down there, and you know how they can get about cases like these."

Undertaker did not have any first-hand experience with such cases but he had heard rumors about them. Rumors about humans who were killed before they could interfere in whatever the higher-ups were planning. "Sounds important."

"Don't worry too much. The reaping is only in three months but they would like you to remain on the grounds in case a demon should interfere, though you will have to put up with some of the smell. Seems like it's one dirty job they have planned." Julius slid some papers over the desk. Undertaker glanced over them. Clearance passes for two specific demons, pictures and a rather peculiar name. Phantomhive.

"It's only a normal job, right?" he inquired monotonously as he bent over the desk to sign the paperwork. Everything in threefold, in case something should go missing. The only clock in the room kept ticking monotonously, one constant in a never-changing world. Seconds slipped past them, but what was a second for an immortal?

Julius shrugged. "As normal as it can get. The Phantomhives have an estate not too far from London though you should be glad they're not close. I've heard the smell there is almost impossible to stand once spring gets started. Then again, what do you want with 10 000 people in one place? Soon we'll have to dispatch a unit for that one town every day."

Undertaker nodded, placing the papers save one in his pocket. He would have liked to get some sleep first but when a job was this high of a priority it was best to get going first thing. Greenish yellow eyes scanned the file in his hand.

Target name : Edward Phantomhive.  
Age : Twelve.  
Sex : Male.  
Reason for death : classified.  
Manner of death : burnt at the stake.

Notes : target will appear in Reaper book shortly after assignment is received. Under no circumstance must target be brought in contact with demons. Obey all notes in Reaper book as they appear.

He almost hissed when he read the way in which the boy should die. That was not a pleasant way to go at all. But he felt no pity for the mortal. Once he was dead he would collect the soul and bring it back here. That was his purpose in life, was it not? "Orders are orders."

What else could there be in life?

|90 Days Left|

With a jolt Undertaker shot wide awake, nearly toppling out of the three he had sought refuge in. His loose pants got snagged behind a twig. Gathering his balance back with the help of his Scythe he sat up straight once more, glancing down with a look of exasperation. This assignment didn't really ask a lot of him - it was basically a glorified babysitting job - but there was no decent place to sleep other than the castle nearby. Undertaker didn't want to take refuge there unless he had no choice. There was no fathomable excuse for him to stay there for over three months.

He whipped open his Reaper book once more. No new notes had appeared though he could think of a few to send back to headquarters. Like who in the seven hells would believe the kid was a witch? He and his sister were nigh inseparable. He'd seen the two mortals on little outings near the forest, accompanied by at least two men whose sole duty it seemed to keep them safe. From a distance he could only tell which one the target was due to size and because the woman wore a dress.

Undertaker sighed, leaning back against the tree. A branch snapped underneath him. Sharply inhaling he looked down. It was the Phantomhive woman, the boy's sister. Her dark brown hair done up in an intricate braid, wearing a dress the color of spring grass and morning dew. Her hands were clasped in front of her mouth as she attempted to keep back her giggling.  
The Reaper looked around for a moment, spotting the target and his two guards a little farther off, clearly looking for her. It would seem he had ended up in the middle of a game of hide and seek while he slumbered. He shook his head, deftly tying his hair in a ponytail before he stashed his Scythe away safely. He thought he felt something move in his pocket though he didn't think much of it. More important to get away from here, while he still was uninvolved.

One jump and he landed almost as light as a cat in the leaves and bushes near the base of the trees. With a turn he was behind a trunk. Undertaker almost smiled. If the woman had heard a rustle she would most surely assume it had been a deer or rabbit. He dusted off his dark shirt, turning to his left.

And looked straight in a pair of brilliant, big blue eyes. His heart nearly leaped in his throat from the shock though he managed to keep back any undignified sounds. Just in time he registered her smile and what she was saying.

"You dropped this just now, didn't you?" she asked him, holding out a silver pocket watch to him.

He recognized it as his at once. "Y… yes, it seems I did. How silly I didn't realize right away."

Her eyes narrowed a bit in her smile, as if she was a cat catching an unsuspecting canary. "I don't think I would have noticed if I had jumped from the top of a tree. You're pretty amazing, aren't you?"

She'd seen that? Undertaker realized he'd be in big trouble if the chief were to hear about this. His perfect record would be ruined. "I'm… nothing special." For a Reaper, he added in silence.

He reached for the pocket watch but her fingers curled around it protectively. "Could you tell me your name first? My name is Phantomhive Madeleine."

"My name?" Yes his name, had he gone completely daft simply because he was staring in a pair of pretty eyes? "Undertake-eeeh… eh, I mean…"

"Undertaker?" she asked him, her fingers curling away from the watch like a flower blooming. "That's a pretty interesting name. Are you-"

Before she had finished her question Undertaker smelt something disgusting. Sulfur and acid filled the air, almost sending him in a coughing fit. The demons! But why were they coming near the two of them when the target was so close by?

His question was answered when a demon with amber eyes appeared from the shadows. The beast took a deep breath before speaking in a low voice. "Something smells delicious here."

Undertaker's eyes flashed towards Madeleine, knowing at once what the demon was referring to. Though his orders for now were to not bring the target in contact with demons he also had a sacred duty to protect any soul from these animals. "Don't even think about it."

"What are you doing on my father's land?" Madeleine demanded of the newcomer. Undertaker rolled his eyes. Like any demon worth his salt would be impressed by a mortal trying to seem important.

The foe startled to circle the two of them. Undertaker moved in front of the mortal though that would do neither of them a lot of good if the demon attacked. The beast spoke to her in cooing words. "There's no need to fear me, little girl. I can give you anything you want, the deepest desires of your little heart. All you need to do is whisper your wish to me and promise me… promise me your delicious little soul."

With a gasp Madeleine clasped her hands together. "Dear Father who art in heaven, please help us to ward off temptation."

The demon laughed, a bellow that made birds fly up in fear. "Oh how I love the maidens of this time. Nothing like a woman begging for the Light when you're about to bend her over."

Undertaker stepped back slightly until he felt Madeleine against his back. "Don't worry, lady Phantomhive. I will make sure nothing happens to you."

"Yes, that's it! That's how your kind is supposed to be, always protecting the weak lambs." The demon sneered, flexing his hands. "But you're not supposed to intervene with me just now, Reaper, so scram."

Undertaker thought back to his Reaper book but couldn't remember anything about having to let demons eat the souls of humans while he was on watch here. "You won't tempt anyone while I am here, demon."

"Miss Madeleine, are you there?" a male shouted, along a small boy shouting his sister's name.

The split-second Undertaker let his attention falter the demon was next to them, extending his hands to Madeleine. Undertaker countered with his Scythe, the blades nearly slicing the demon's fingers clean off. "Like I just said, no one will lay hands on the lady."

The demon licked the cut on his hand, the stench of blood permeating the air. Undertaker removed one hand from his Scythe, touching Madeleine's elbow ever so slightly. The look on his face spelled certain doom for the idiot that tried to eat a soul on his territory. The sound of humans tramping through the woods grew stronger, making the amber-eyed demon look back in annoyance. "Tch. They're not supposed to see me here. I'll see you later, Lady Phantomhive."

"Stop right there, scoundrel!" One of the guards shouted, pointing a finger towards Undertaker.  
"M'Lady, have you been hurt?" the second one asked, before he was shoved to the side by a young boy.

"Sister!" He rushed past Undertaker, not even looking at the strange man with the long hair that was wielding the dangerous weapon. Madeleine swooped down, wrapping her arms around her brother in a loving gesture.

"I'm alright Edward. There was a man here just a moment ago, but master Undertaker protected me." She explained, pressing a kiss on the young boy's cheek. The child looked up at Undertaker, who could immediately see the family resemblance. Though the hair was a shade darker and the eyes were a tone lighter there was no mistaking their lineage. The child clinging to his older sister was Edward Phantomhive, the boy whose soul he was supposed to reap in a few months.

"Give up your weapon at once, fiend." One of the guards ordered, pulling a sword. Undertaker sighed, realizing he could wave his perfect record goodbye. He adjusted his glasses with one hand, getting ready to send out a signal for help.

He was stopped when Madeleine grabbed his arm. With a sudden start he felt nails digging in his skin, the warmth of a human hand seeping through the smooth cloth of his shirt. "No, you've got it wrong. Master Undertaker protected me from a demon."

The two guards shared a glance with each other. Undertaker could almost hear them thinking how he, with his dark clothes and silver hair, must be a demon. "M'lady, you are mistaken. Look at his clothes, his weapon."

"He protected me from a man who would have… who'd have forced me to do things no maiden should have to do!" she retorted, red rising to her cheeks. Her hand dug more firmly in his skin as if to make sure he would not run away from her.  
When the men thought to object Edward finally spoke something else than the word 'sister'. "If my big sister says he was here to protect her, we should believe her. And if you don't want to listen to her, you can go and ask father."

That seemed to settle matters for a little while.

|After A Little While|

Undertaker tried to remember if there had ever been a time when another Reaper had botched things up so poorly. Sadly enough for him there were no instances that immediately sprang to mind. Lucky for him, utmost secrecy had not been a part of this job's description. Still, some secrecy would have been good for the general way things went. In his hand he held the pocket watch, the long chain bound around his wrist. Seconds ticked away beneath his palm, every so slowly.

"You were playing outside again without the guards to look over you properly?" Lord Phantomhive asked his eldest child, the dark mustache a perfect compliment to his modest beard. He seemed displeased by the notion. The ring on his hand gleamed in the light of the candles. The sun had set early this spring day, surprising nearly all of them.

Madeleine curtsied, keeping her head towards the ground. "Yes father. We were playing hide and seek. I didn't think there would be any danger."

"Young girls have gone missing around that area for weeks and you think being a Phantomhive will make you less of a target. Being a Phantomhive means being the biggest target there is, Madeleine. When will you learn this?" The man rubbed his index fingers across his temples before he looked at Undertaker.  
"And your… rescuer…" The pause was impossible to miss even if one would have tried. "He arrived just in time, didn't he?"

"Actually, father, he was just leaving when I stopped him." Madeleine confessed, the red tinge around her ears flaring up once more.

Phantomhive eyes the hue of frozen fire landed on the woman. "And is this a new habit of yours, daughter? A woman shouldn't go around talking to men, especially if she has a fiance."

Undertaker decided to intervene. "Pardon me, but I had dropped my watch just then. The young lady was merely returning it to me." He pulled the silver watch from his pocket to back them up as proof.

Lord Phantomhive studied the watch for a moment. Undertaker found himself wishing he could read minds. This was the first time he had the chance to study humans up close for longer than just the time it took them to die. This man reminded him of forged steel, gleaming, sharp and unwavering. He knew this Watchdog was putting together the pieces available to him. Finally the man spoke, leaning back. "What do you think of this, daughter? You have been listening in on your brother's lessons after all."

Madeleine flinched as if she had been caught. "Master Undertaker's dress suggests he is of low birth, a fact which is contradicted by one, the pocket watch. Two, his weapon of choice, something which not even your blacksmith would be able to reproduce. Three, his glasses which are of fine make. And four… his hair."

"His hair?" Lord Phantomhive asked.

The woman nodded, casting a furtive glance towards Undertaker. "Not to offend you, master Undertaker, but you have hair which any noblewoman would be proud to have. It's well taken care off, and men who have to do manual labor don't often have hair of that length."

Lord Phantomhive shook his head in wonder. "The things women come up with. But still she has a few points. Did you think the same, Edward?"

Edward, standing next to his father, nodded. "I did father. Except for the hair, but I'm not a girl, so I wouldn't know. I'd like to add point five. He wanted to protect my sister, even though he should have known he would get blamed for it by the guards."

The Watchdog nodded, clasping his hands in front of him. "Which makes him either a clever spy, or a stupid one. Good job, Edward. But that leaves the question what we are to do with him? I can't throw him in the dungeons but I can't let a spy run loose either."

"A spy?" Undertaker inquired dryly.

"I'm not going to explain things more to you than you already know." Lord Phantomhive made clear, rubbing his thumb over the ring that stood symbol for all of his power. He considered both offenders standing in front of him, taking into account all of the evidence.  
"James. Would you say this man could have defeated you if he had a mind to it?"

The tallest of the guards that were in charge of the young lady took a step forward, swallowing once. "Well, you see sir, it was me an' Patrick an'-"

"A simple yes or no would do."

James flashed his eyes to Undertaker though with considerably more fear than the young woman had. "Yes sir, I believe he would have been able to defeat us."

"And my son believes he means no harm?"

Edward shook his head. "I don't think so father."

Lord Phantomhive smiled. "Then we will put it to the test. Master Undertaker, until the moment my daughter departs for the New World you will be responsible for her wellbeing. If Edward is right about your trustworthiness then Madeleine will be a rosy-cheeked bride when fall comes. If he is wrong… well, it will be a valuable lesson for the boy."

Edward paled when he heard his sister's life depended on his judgment. At once he shot Undertaker a pleading look. The Reaper just nearly avoided shaking his head in frustration. Although he wasn't a spy, it was certainly unorthodox of him to spend time with his target. On the upside, he would at least have a decent bed to sleep in. It was a decided upgrade from the tree.

|87 Days Left|

Undertaker had to admit that life in a mansion was a decided upgrade from living in a tree for the duration of his assignment. For one, there was a steady supply of food which he could eat in relative peace in the kitchen. Then there was the single bed he could call his own while he lived here, located in the guard quarters. And the relative ease of having his job close at hand wasn't to be slighted.  
The only thing that had him bored out of his skull was having to spend every waking moment with the lady Phantomhive. It had become very clear to him that women weren't supposed to actually do anything with their day other than embroidery or managing the household. Thanks to a very eager head maid even that latter job fell into a task that asked little attention.

"Master Undertaker?" Madeleine asked him sweetly, her hands folded on her back. Her hair was once again in an elaborate braid, the dress a bright morning blue. She looked far too innocent.

He looked up from the book he was reading. "What?"

"Let's make like a tree and leaf." She suggested with a wide grin.

He blinked a few times, not sure if he understood what she meant. "Trees can't leave, they are rooted to the ground."

Madeleine rolled her eyes at him, throwing her long braid back over her shoulder. "It's a pun. Leaf. Leave. Get it? It's supposed to be funny."

Undertaker closed up his book, leaning his head on one hand as he looked up at her from his chair. "You have a strange sense of humor then."

The mortal smiled at the comment, one corner of her mouth curling up. Less than a cat she now resembled a kitten more. "I've heard that before. Still, I am feeling rather bored and father said I couldn't go anywhere without you. Could you please come with me to Edward's room?"

Sighing he closed his book, placing it on a low table. He trusted there were few people in the house who were literate and with some luck staff would leave it lying there. When had the last time been he could take some time to relax? "I don't suppose you have already found a way to circumvent your father's decision?"

Her eyes narrowed in the smile, as if she was pleased by what she was seeing. Suddenly self-conscious Undertaker rubbed his cheek. Was there something on his face? The young woman took a small step closer to him. "Not yet, but I'm working on it. Do you want me to tell you, or would you rather be surprised?"

"I dislike surprises." He stated. If something surprised him at work it usually meant a huge loss of time.

Madeleine tss-ked, shaking her head. "Then you simply have never had a nice surprise. Follow me please." She started to walk, fully confident he would follow after her. "So, who sent you to spy on father?"

"Pardon?"

"We already guessed you're a spy. Just a very special one if you're working for the enemy and don't want us dead. Why else would a stranger have protected me without asking for a reward?"

Undertaker considered the idea for a moment. Of course, if he had had the simple idea of asking for a reward he wouldn't be in this mess. "Maybe I just didn't want a beautiful lady to be in trouble?"

Madeleine looked back at him in surprise, blue eyes lighting up at his words in pleasure. "Maybe. Or maybe you're a smart spy who knows how to flatter women."

Flatter women? How on earth had he flattered her? Hiding his bemusement he pushed his glasses up his nose. "Think what you must."

The woman stopped walking for a moment, nearly making him bump into her. He was over a head taller than her and his steps had been more rapid. The last thing he needed was a servant thinking he was assaulting her. "Why did you stop?"

"I'll stop asking about you being a spy for the day if I can try on your glasses." She promised him, the same quick smile passing over her face like the sun after a rainy day. She raised her hand, palm up, towards him.  
"Pretty please?"

He considered the idea for a moment. "No."

|85 Days Left|

"How do they look on me?" Madeleine asked him, looking around her room for a small hand mirror. Next to her Edward was looking at his sister in a mix of admiration and surprise.

Undertaker was forced to lean towards her if he was to make her face out. Being without his glasses felt weird, things around him blurry instead of focused. It was a discomforting feeling. He stopped his advance forward when he realized he was almost too close for decency. White teeth and red lips formed a smile, a faint blush on the woman's cheeks when she saw him so close.  
"They're… they look rather becoming on your face." He had to bite his tongue lest he added her visage could make anything look better. Among the Reapers being frank was expected but it seemed humans weren't often so.

"Makes you look like one of those old priests." Edward added in what he thought was a helpful comment. Madeleine giggled, grabbing her brother close to her.

"Hahhah, just imagine old father Henry in a dress like mine. Ask for penance for wicked thoughts and pray to the Lord, ho ho ho." The woman added the last sentence in what was supposed to be a lower voice. Undertaker found the corner of his mouth twitching up despite himself. At once she raised the glasses to look at him better. "That's the first time I've seen you smile, master Undertaker!"

Undertaker coughed, reaching for his glasses to hide his embarrassment. For a fleeting second the tip of his finger brushed past her cheek. This was the first time he remembered a moment passing so quickly, pressing such a deep impression in his mind. Warm, living flesh underneath his touch, blood flowing through veins thanks to a young heart. He pressed his glasses back on his nose, averting his face.

"For a bodyguard he's quite easily flustered. I'm glad you were right about him, brother." Madeleine announced, the smile audible in her voice.

Undertaker could hear young Edward move next to her, another young, living body. For now, at least. "I'm happy. Otherwise something might have happened to you."

"What are you talking about? Phantomhives always win in the end!"

|84 Days Left|

For the first time since they had spoken there was no easy smile on her face. The young lady looked thoroughly depressed, sitting in one of the cozy chairs with a pair of knitting needles and gray wool. So far she still had to make the first stitch. Undertaker thought about what he ought to do. No matter what he did, odds were he'd end up getting teased again.  
"What are you fretting about?"

"Hmm?" Madeleine looked up as if she only realized he was in the same room as her. For some reason it annoyed him a little bit. Usually she treated him like some kind of toy. "I'm sorry, master Undertaker. I suppose I have been dreadful company all day. But…"  
She paused, running her tongue past her lips for a moment. Undertaker followed the movement impatiently. "Near the place where we first met several girls have disappeared. It's been worrying father for a while as well. Spring is a busy season and father doesn't want the farmers to go on witch hunts hunting for the people responsible."

The words 'witch hunt' at once brought to mind how Edward would die. Still so many days to go until that event. This was the first time he would be able to see how events would lead up to a person dying without the Cinematic Record. It would be strange to watch it and find himself portrayed there as well.

As he went for a while without replying Madeleine continued her monologue. "Say, master Undertaker, what were you doing in the woods out there? As a spy you should have known that you can only gather information if you're near other people. Don't tell me you're actually a creep that was waiting to kill someone."

"Killing huma- killing other humans is forbidden. And I am not a spy." His eyebrows knitted together in frustration. No matter how often he denied it she refused to believe him, saying things like 'but that is what a spy would tell me'. He glanced at her, seeing how her expression was a perfect mirror of what he assumed his own was at the moment. Undertaker sighed. "It won't do you any good worrying about those killings. What has passed has passed and what will be, shall be. You'd do better focusing on your own business."

Madeleine glanced down on her knitting needles, a faint blush spreading on her cheeks. "I know I'm useless. I can't do anything here other than just sit around and look pretty. I'm not even allowed to follow my brother's lessons anymore. I'm a failure as a Phantomhive."

Now what was he supposed to be doing with this? He vaguely remembered Maria, one of the other Reapers, once complaining to him she felt like a failure as well. Undertaker didn't quite believe his advise about efficiency and stealth would be what the lady needed. "Surely there are some things you are good at?"

His conversation partner blinked at the question. "I suppose so… but none of it is important to my family."

The Reaper hinted his head towards her needles. "I believe that even though spring is coming I still could use a nice scarf. Could you knit me one? I'm sure you'd be quite capable at it."

It was silent in the room for a few more seconds. Then there was a soft, feminine laugh and the clicking of needles. Undertaker let out a pleased, low hum and picked up his book once more. "You also have a peculiar knack for silly jokes. Could you tell me another one?"  
He didn't know why he had asked the question but the sudden smile on her face showed he had hit the mark perfectly.

"How about a riddle? Which one is faster, hot or cold?"

|80 Days Left|

Undertaker had to suppress a giggle when he tied his hair up in a pony tail. 'Hot, because you can catch a cold'. He hadn't thought such silly world plays existed in the Middle Realm but she had managed to surprise him time and again. Then he coughed, trying to regain a serious expression once more. It was harder than it had been a few days ago.

The Reaper left the simple quarters he shared with the guards. Suspicious eyes followed the stranger, exactly like how Lord Phantomhive had intended it. As the silver-haired man roamed the corridors chambermaids whispered to each other he could make out some muffled words, some flattering, some less so. Rounding a corner he encountered young Edward, the boy bumping into him with a surprised yelp.  
"Pardon me, lordling. Aren't you supposed to be in some class or another?"

Edward grinned broadly, his dark hair sticking up rather messily. With a familiar air that had developed rather quickly Undertaker picked a piece of straw out of the young boy's hair. It had every appearance the boy had been spending time in the stables before this. The child showed Undertaker a letter, narrow handwriting spelling Madeleine's name.  
"My sister got a letter from her fiance. I'm just going to drop it off. You should come with me, master Undertaker, before father finds out you've left her alone after her French classes had ended."

A new chuckle threatened to force a way out. Undertaker coughed instead, covering up the amused feeling that bubbled up. "You say that as if your sister might be up to something."

Edward looked up in surprise, with eyes that were just like those of his sister, only with the curiosity of a child still in them. "Well, that's because sister is always up to something. Usually she tries to figure out ways to help father, though it usually makes things worse. I think that's why he has you to keep an eye on her. She can't tell you to bugger off like she did with her chambermaids."

"Bugger off?" Undertaker chided the boy calmly.

Edward shrugged, not caring about what someone not his sister thought of the choice of words. "That's what she said at the time. She also has other ones, but I promised not to repeat them until I'm an adult." The boy cast the Reaper a sly smile, much like that of his elder sibling. "But if you continue to take good care of her, I'll consider teaching you some."

"How very gracious of you." Undertaker replied, seeing that there was more than a little family resemblance in the Phantomhive bloodline.

Once they entered Madeleine's room Undertaker was greeted by a hint of roses and jasmine as the lady rushed past him to hug her brother. He walked over to a chair, quite used by now with how the two siblings interacted, usually as if they had not seen each other in centuries. Madeleine chattered about how awful class had been - she had been forced to read a dreary novel it seemed - only to give out a scream that raised goosebumps in it's ferocity.  
"He sent me a letter?"

The tone of her words suggested her fiance had sent her the Holy Grail and not a few pieces of paper scattered with ink. Undertaker shared a look of bemusement with Edward, neither of the two male specimens getting the excitement. At least, that's what Undertaker thought until Edward elaborated on the behaviour of his sister. "She's been sending letters over to the New Land at least once every week. This is the first time she's gotten one back though."

"Of course the post is unreliable. The letters have to go by boat and then be delivered to the estate he has there." Madeleine added to the explanation, ignoring the obvious judgment in her brother's words. "I'm sure he has many things to tell me about. I'll be going over there in a few seasons and I'm sure he…"

The endless stream of words faltered as her eyes flit over the paper. Undertaker observed as she went back and then looked amazed once more. Excitement left her face, replaced by an oddly blank expression as she took the other two vellums of paper. The light filtering through them showed they were more densely written than the first paper. With a sigh she tossed the papers on a low table, walking over to her closet.

The two men once more shared a look, glanced at the woman in their presence and then looked back at each other. Edward shrugged, walking over to the table. Phantomhive blue swept over the shortest letter in one fluent motion before moving on to the other two pieces of paper. Undertaker could see the man Edward could have became if he wasn't destined to die soon in that one moment, in the strong set of his jaw and still in possession of his baby fat. There was something in that stance that suggestion diamond was not the strongest material in this world.  
"I shall deliver these, dear sister. Will you join me for a pick nick tomorrow?"

"If father will allow it." Madeleine replied, the same cold glint in her eyes as she located a pair of sturdy shoes. The decision seemed to have been made when Edward suggested plans for the day after because previously she had only been rummaging to keep her hands busy.

"He will."

The door was slammed shut with more force than necessary, sending the remaining piece of paper whirling on the breeze. Undertaker snipped it out of the air, holding it between his index and middle finger. He used his free hand to take his glasses of for a moment, studying them from afar. "May I?"

Madeleine's back was rigid, her stance as cold as the snow that had covered the grounds this morning. "As it contains nothing of a personal matter I see no reason to restrain you, master Undertaker."

Yeowch, that did not sound flattering. Undertaker put his glasses back on, examining the offending letter with great interest. Though the lady had been right, there was indeed nothing much written here. 'Madeleine," it started. Not even a dear in front of it.  
'Though your letters are most likely written with good intentions, your father and I have already made all necessary arrangements concerning yourself. Please refrain from sending more. Enclosed to this letter are two business proposals to your father. Please see to it that he gets them. Signed by Henry Sutton.'

The Reaper loosened his collar with his finger for a moment. He had read work assignments containing more love than this flimsy excuse for a letter. No wonder the mortal was obviously wounded. "Obviously this was written by a…" what was a word that would appeal to her the most? "… a real cheese head."

"A cheese head?" Though the words had not immediately brought a smile on her face Undertaker took courage in how she settled her attention on him.

He nodded as solemnly as possible in reply. "The contents of the letter give me no room for another explanation. Only someone with a head like holey, smelly cheese would be able to be so daft."

Madeleine considered his words for a moment, an inkling of a smile dawning on her face. "What kind of smelly cheese?"

"The smelliest." Undertaker replied as earnest as possible. Though her smile did not reach that bubbly quality he had come to associate with it, it reached somehow a sweeter height. A sincerity that showed in her eyes more deeply than joy had done before that.  
The young woman walked up to him, not to take the letter from his fingers but instead to sit down on the ground in between the fireplace and the chair he occupied. Her eyes thanked him as warmly as her words did and for a moment Undertaker thought he could feel a flutter in his chest.

Outside the bell tower started to ring.

|79 Days Left|

"You are having a meal on the graveyard?" Undertaker asked, leaning on his scythe. The other bodyguards eyed him suspiciously but did not venture any closer to the trio as they talked.

Edward nodded as he stuffed a sweet cake in his mouth. "Of course we do. Mother would be happiest to see us having fun instead of crying by her grave. Isn't that right, sister?"

Blue eyes flashed up to Undertaker in a glance that wasn't mere curiosity but the glowing start of friendship. "That's right. What mother would want to see us coming to cry at her grave when we can show we are happy to be together and all is well? We must enjoy it while we can."

Though the Reaper knew she was hinting towards her departure for the New Land he at once thought about Edward's death. Only when he felt the pain did he realize how firm his grip had become, turning the knuckles white around the hilt of his scythe. Yet bringing a smile to his lips was easy when he thought that at least she would survive all this. "You're right. Life is far too short for most creatures to spend it in tears."

Edward managed to surprise him by tossing him a winter apple from the bag. "You're a good one for understanding that."

"Without laughter the world would be such a sad place," Madeleine added to that, taking a bite of her own sweet cake.

Undertaker considered the apple for a moment before he took a bite. He found himself agreeing with the humans, much to his own surprise. 'How sad the world would be if laughter should ever die away.' Would be that he could freeze this single moment in time. The Reaper was woken from his reverie by Madeleine's voice asking a question.

"What steps would you take when being pursued by a bear?"

|75 Days Left|

"You are taking far too big steps for something as simple as a party," Undertaker did not hesitate to inform Madeleine of this as he peered at the grocery list without his glasses. Those were in possession of said young lady who had used them to appear 'more professional'. He hadn't the heart to tell her she was most likely frightening the servants.

Right now she peered at the Reaper over the silver rim, dark eyebrows forming a perfect frown as she looked at him. "I am taking just enough steps. This is a Phantomhive feast, not some farmer row. Everything must be in perfect shape."

"I can't help but feel you are ordering those fifty cheese heads for a different reason than entertaining your guests," Undertaker retorted, remembering the office parties the Reapers had every once in a while. They were a change of pace… which was all that could be said about it.

Without pomp she placed his glasses back on his face, sliding them up gently as she looked into his eyes. Madeleine's smile was almost too bright for him, snapped into focus in a moment that made him oddly aware of how much taller he was than her. If he would want to kiss her he'd have to-  
"Can you change the order to say 'literal cheese heads'? I want them carved in a nice shape. It should be fun," Madeleine asked him, breaking off that particular train of thought.

His hopes that his thoughts had escaped her proved to be fruitless. "You always do that," she remarked.

"D-do what?!" he asked, nearly slapping himself for being so loud.

"Turn red when I come closer to you. It's very strange. It doesn't have anything to do with me saying I like your hair, does it? Because you do have gorgeous hair," she clarified, stepping closer.

Undertaker had to look down on her at this short distance. There was still a decent amount of space between them but he couldn't shake that ghostly feeling of her fingers on his face. A curiosity bloomed for the first time in his heart because here there was something the Cinematic Record had never been able to give him. To actually live those small, meaningful moments and not just be a witness. For the first time he felt the warmth in his chest at being conversed with or the cold sting of suspicion concerning his identity.  
"Perhaps I blush because I am near a desirable woman," Undertaker confessed, his words nary a breath. Madeleine's eyes grew bigger but for the moment she did not retreat.

What was happening to her when he spoke those defining words? Was her heart stammering and did the knees go weak? Was somewhere in her mind an alarm going, telling her that she should run from him while she still had a chance? Did her soul react to the presence of what could be an amorous Reaper? White teeth bit on a rosy lip and Undertaker wished he could save this precious moment for eternity.

The moment slipped away from him when Madeleine took a small step back. Helpless the Reaper tasted, for the very, very first time, the bitter taste of time passed and never to be regained.

|68 Days Left|

Undertaker stood before Julius' desk, one arm wrapped around his other elbow. He tried to look as normal as possible, a feat which had been made harder due to how weak his knees felt. Was asking for a transfer weakness? Probably? Would it send the department into a spiral of confusion and extra paperwork? Most likely.  
But he could not live another day with stolen glances towards Madeleine, wishing to be allowed to take her hand in his when she looked to be worried.

Not that Julius would have noticed a single moment of this inner turmoil. The dark-haired Reaper had his nose stuck in a selection of reports. "Lord Rafael asked me to compliment you on how you infiltrated the household. Of course they had a hand in it as well but the main idea came from your actions. Once this job is over you can expect a promotion."

Undertaker felt a sudden stab of resentment at the notion. He was to be rewarded for lying to the woman and her little brother? "I-"

"How's the weather down there? I could use a fresh nose myself but as you can see things are horribly busy."

"The weather is fine. Julius, I-" he thought his next words over. "Who would be in charge of the Phantomhives if not for me?"

This question did cause Julius to look up for a moment. Yellow and green fought over dominance in a gaze that seemed as solid as the foundations of Reaper society. "What an odd notion. The job is yours now. Though if you must know, I believe that Charles fellow would be in your stead. He doesn't quite have your flair for business, I must confess."

The memory of a graveyard pick nick popped in his mind, as fresh as the day he had had it. It stood out like a rose among the bleak monotonousness of his everyday life. The never-changing ticking of the clock felt like the heated breath of a bear. It would be time to take really big steps.

"Was there anything else you wanted, Undertaker?"

Undertaker smiled, twirling a strand of hair that had escaped from his pony tail around his finger. "No. Just came back to make a report."

|61 Days Left|

Of course saying he was going to take steps was something different than doing it. The past few days he had been feverishly trying to track down the demons that were the cause of the missing women. Sadly enough his heated hunt had done little in turning up actual clues. Sometimes he felt as if they were taunting him on purpose. More troublesome than that was his rising lack of sleep, since he could only venture out at night.

"Master Undertaker?" a voice, almost heavenly to his ears, called out to him. With a start the Reaper opened his eyes, raising himself up only to meet a pair of eyes he so often admired.

"Lady Phantomhive," he managed to bring out without stuttering. Dear Light, what time was it? Was there a reason for a lady to be down in the barracks at this time? Was the world coming to an end?!

Madeleine settled on a chair next to his straw bed, her thick hair falling down her left shoulder in a braid. "You are late for church, Master Undertaker. In fact, I believe that if you miss another service our good priest will start referring to you as a heathen or worse, a Catholic."

Undertaker blinked, reaching for his glasses as he tried to process the new information. "Church?" he blurted out, fumbling in an attempt to gather his emotions.

"Yes, church," Madeleine repeated after him, looking thoroughly amused. "You know, big building where people gather at least once a week to sing our Lord's praises? Which you have been skipping for the entire month you have been in town? That church?"

"I do believe I recall it now," He replied, trying to not sound surly. Death did not attend church and suggesting a Reaper should was bordering on pure madness. Then again, she didn't know so he supposed he ought to forgive her. After five more minutes of sleeping. "A good night to you, dear lady."

"No time for slackers in this castle!" Madeleine made clear, ripping away his sheets.

With a cry Undertaker shot up, thankful he was wearing undergarments or things would have gotten ridiculously awkward. "Lady Phantomhive!"

The man resisted the urge to cover himself up under her examining gaze. Though her cheeks turned a slight pink she gave no inclination she minded seeing him freshly awakened. "Call me Madeleine and I'll give you the blanket back."

Undertaker took a few deep breaths. "… Madeleine, if you would be so kind as to give me my covers back?" He could hear the guards snickering right around the corner. Apart from how he was quite certain he must appear a downright fright - his bed hair could be called legendary for all the wrong reasons - he was also extremely aware of her lack of social propriety. Even though Reapers had a strict rulebook, even among humans there must be some kind of social code.  
"And please, think about your reputation. Coming in a man's bedroom without an escort can give rise to all sorts of rumors."

After his request she turned her back to him so he could get dressed, clearly miffed about his suggestion. "Please, as if you would ever lay a hand on me. People who think that just need to get their mind checked because there is no way that you-"

"Please… Madeleine. For your own safety, perhaps you should remember that I too am a man," Undertaker asked her, touching her by the elbow lightly. She turned around and suddenly he realized that he was shirtless. Her eyes traveled up and down quickly and he was sure his own complexion matched hers in this very instant. Yet she didn't cry out for help. He didn't know if that was a good thing or not.

Madeleine swallowed, clearly doing her best to only look at his eyes. "I fear I know that, master Undertaker. Just as I have realized that you are indeed no cheese head."

He chuckled despite himself. "If I must call you Madeleine, then you should call me Undertaker."

|58 Days Left|

"You look a positive fright," was the first thing he heard when he walked into Madeleine's room. Verifying the facts after looking in a mirror he realized she was in fact quite right. Instead of the prim and proper Reaper of old there was now a man that would do a better job at being a scarecrow.

Edward's raised eyebrows showed he was of the same inclination as his sister. "Perhaps sister would do best to remedy your appearance a bit, master Undertaker. At this rate a farmer might claim you to keep the birds away from his acres. Don't worry, she does my hair as well."

Realizing there was no fighting it Undertaker complied, taking a seat in one of the chairs scattered about the room. At once Madeleine stood behind him with a brush, starting the delicate process of getting his hair disentangled. "What have you been doing to end up such a mess?" She muttered behind him.

Edward lay on his sister's bed, watching the proceedings with a look he had obviously copied from his father. "Master Undertaker has been sneaking out at night and going to that specific area."

The hands in his hair paused, causing him to look behind him in consternation. "I swear I did not-"

"Of course not," Madeleine said decisively, continuing her job.

"We know you have no part in the disappearances. Even father has admitted that much now," Edward clarified as he gazed to the window on the other side of the room. It was a languid gaze, one where he did not lift his head but rested it on his hand during the conversation. "We came to the conclusion Master Undertaker is hunting for the perpetrators as well. Are you also one of his Majesty's Dogs?"

Undertaker hesitated. "I don't think of myself as a dog to anyone."

Edward closed his eyes as if that was answer enough. "Very well. But father has declared that you might take as many men as you want in your hunts for the criminal. You're also free of your duties regarding my sister should you wish it."

This time the delicious feeling of gentle hands in his hair didn't stop. Undertaker closed his eyes, enjoying the feeling of being close to someone who felt friendship towards him. "If you will have me…?"

She took the glasses from his nose, putting them on a low table. "Of course I will. Where else will I find a bodyguard with the same sense of humor?"

|50 Days Left|

Time now had the peculiar quality of standing still and hurtling ahead full force all at once. Though every day was somewhat the same his Reaper book clearly showed how many days he had left to enjoy this taste of normal life. Nothing changed on the outside but all of them were hurtling towards a gruesome fate.

He had taken to wearing his hair loose for now, partly because he enjoyed the feeling of how Madeleine would be tempted to comb it for him. Forget that partly, he thought with less embarrassment than the earlier days. He did it precisely because he knew she couldn't resist him like that. He now knew more lame jokes than any Reaper before him. The fact made him prouder than any other achievement in his life. Julius could stuff his promotion up his backside.

All he wanted was an eternity of lame jokes and wonderful laughter.

The person who was able to grant his wish was putting a last hand to his scarf, even if the warmer weather meant he didn't need it. Blue eyes looked up at him, squeezing together in the beginning of a smile. He replied, gently and with ease. Though these days lacked the varying qualities of his Reaper life they had a merit. A peace interwoven with suspense.

"You've stopped reading," Her soft voice chided him benevolently. Madeleine's request to be read 'the Canterbury Tales' had taken him by surprise - he wasn't quite sure her father would approve - but it was such a simple service he could provide her. And Chaucer had a flair for underhanded comments which he could certainly appreciate.

"You'll have to forgive me," He barely managed to keep the word 'dearest' behind his teeth. Though she had somewhat kept her distance it was still so easy to imagine he might touch her hand, the inside of her wrist, the smooth skin of her arm. Even now he knew his eyes were too hungry. "I was thinking about how strange life can be."

Madeleine didn't seem too surprised about it. "Of course you are. At least you aren't so serious anymore as when we first met. Did you come to any conclusions?"

"I don't know," he confessed. On the one hand he wanted time to stand still on those precious moments he experienced but then again, what other moments lied ahead? How much easier it would be if Madeleine were to be like him. For starters he would certainly be able to snatch her away from that Henry character.

The young lady shook her head, though not in disappointment. He stood when she rose, ready to escort her should she wish to change the scenery. Instead she wrapped the newly made scarf around his neck, the ends drooping to the ground. Her smile grew more lopsided when she watched over her work. "I thought I should make it longer since you're so tall."

"It is exactly the perfect length," he assured her, even as she knotted it together in an attempt to make it more manageable. This closeness had become so natural to the two of them. If he wished it he could reach out his hands and place them on her waist. From there the step to kissing her would be so easy… so implied Undertaker could see the motion happening without doing it.

Madeleine's warm hands stroked past his skin as she brushed his long bangs away from his face. "You really should get your hair cut. How can you see where you are going? And you're not even wearing your glasses anymore these days."

Undertaker shrugged, taking one of her hands in his own. How miraculous the human body was, the veins that transported life along with blood throughout and the lungs that gave away emotion as breath hitched. How gorgeous pale skin flaring up red underneath his touch. "I prefer it this way."  
Which was true because these days she was always so close he could see her perfectly while the surroundings were a blurry haze. As long as she was in focus he could be quite content. "Would you mind a terrible deal if I were to follow you to the New World?" He could ask Julius for a transfer once the business was done. Madeleine would surely be able to use a friend after all of this.

"What are you talking about?"

"In little less than two months my work here shall be done, and I will have to leave. But I would like very much to remain your… your close friend. Your confidant. A shoulder to cry on. Anything you would request of me, I shall give to you." Except her brother's life because that was not his to give. He could give her everything save the one thing she would want most.

For such a precious second her fingers curled around his hand, her head inclined towards him an inkling. When she stepped back he gripped her hand tighter, careful not to hurt her. "Undertaker, you are my dear friend but-"

"No buts. Please," This was perfect. This position, this distance. They had evolved from their previous stance, the relationship between them a little bit deeper. How happy he was that time hadn't stopped the moment he had first wanted it to. "Let me be your dearest friend for all eternity."

Would it be Sin if he were to taste her lips? Would stealing a kiss from her be like stealing an apple from Paradise? Surely she would be much sweeter to the taste. Undertaker leaned forward, wisps of fine, silver hair curling gently on her face.

Madeleine broke away from him, averting her face as she did so. Her delicate fingers fled his grasp in the movement, leaving his hand cold. "I'm… I'm sorry. I can't."

He fell in back in his chair as she hurried away, the door slamming the sound of running footsteps away. Pressing cold fingers against the side of his face he chuckled. He had been too hasty, too eager. But it was better to laugh than to cry in this short eternity he had been granted.

|45 Days Left|

Even if laughing was better than crying, Undertaker felt things were being too far. Every time he rounded a corner thinking he would see her he did, but only her skirts as she ran away from him. Even the guards were taking a pitying laugh at him. If he heard one more person mutter 'crush' as he walked by he was sorely tempted to get his scythe out. Perhaps slicing one of the perpetrators open would give him an insight in why Madeleine was behaving the way she did.

"You're being too noisy, master Undertaker," Edward made clear. For lack of a better companion Undertaker had sought the company of the youngest Phantomhive. "As if I had not gathered you were fond of my sister. I don't need you talking about it in my presence when a fight would be in my disadvantage."

Undertaker caught the boy's glance towards his scythe and let out a wary chuckle. "I didn't realize I was that easy to see through."

"You're like a puppy, the way you dole after her. If you'll open that box there you'll see a pair of cookies father had baked for you, to show you how foolish you are," The boy sounded quite unhappy with the fact.

The Reaper opened the small box that had been indicated. Inside was a collection of cookies baked in the shape of bones. "Doggie biscuits?"

"To remind you a man mustn't degrade himself running after a woman, especially after saying he won't be a dog to anyone," Edward stated, turning back to the papers on his desk. "Father accepts that as one of the King's men he can't stop you from going after my dear sister but it won't stop him from warning you. One does not chase a Phantomhive without some risks."

The silver-haired man picked up one of the biscuits, sniffing it. "You don't sound very concerned about a man chasing your sister." Though that was very likely due to the boy not having access to all of the facts. A small pang of pity shot through Undertaker's being at the notion.

The dark-haired boy let out a happy laugh at the notion. "My dear sister won't be caught so easily. A Phantomhive never loses, master Undertaker. Be prepared to accept defeat at the hands of your presumed quarry."

Undertaker smiled as well, taking a bite of his biscuit. "Woof."

|41 Days Left|

As the days dragged on Undertaker wished he could have a taste of defeat instead of hoping he would randomly bump into Madeleine. Playing with his gray scarf he waited patiently for her to return to her room. His current hiding spot would have been impossible to maintain if he hadn't been a Reaper. When the door opened he let himself fall forward, hanging upside down in front of his dear lady.  
"I just wanted to show you something humerus." He said, before she could say something.

Shocked blue eyes darted between him and the human bone he held in his hands. It was a risk to bring human body parts in the play but all was fair in love and war. And besides, thinking up good puns became harder every time she introduced a new one into the game.  
The silence held on for so long he feared the plan had failed. At least until the corner of her mouth started to crinkle, quivering with suppressed laughter. Finally the tide broke. "Hahhah… hahhahahaha… hahhaha!"

Undertaker dropped down on the ground, afraid he might have gone too far in his joke. Madeleine was rubbing her eyes free of tears but every time she looked at him the laughter started anew. "I'm sorry," she hiccuped. "It's just… you looked so serious that moment. Delivering such a bad pun with such a serious face… that's just the best."

"Who do you think I learned it from?" He retorted with a sly grin.

Drawing a shaky breath his lady attempted a glare and failed horrendously. "My jokes are better than that, surely."

Deciding to take things further he pulled a stick of butter out of his sleeve, dropping the bone on the ground. The kitchens had asked him to ask her opinion of certain ingredients but that didn't mean they couldn't have some fun while doing it. "You'd butter believe it."

"Is that a stick of butter?"

"Be careful not to as-salt me in your amazement."

"Undertaker."

"I hear these are eggs-cellent, but they want your opinion."

"Undertaker!"

"All yolking aside, they do need your okay."

"That one was horrible."

"They need to know if they need to prepare for the wurst!"

"Enough!" She half-shouted from in between her laughter. "How did you manage to hide all of that in your clothes anyway?"

Undertaker juggled the eggs around, careful not to drop them. "Talent and perseverance," He kept quiet about the few eggs he'd dropped from his loose sleeves on the way over here. "And to find puns horrible enough for your tastes was a challenge in its own."

Madeleine rolled her eyes and shook her head, her braid dangling behind her. She quickly took the butter and salt from his hands, leaving him to juggle with the eggs with one hand. "You are absolutely incorrigible."

The Reaper could not resist the opportunity. Standing behind her he gently let the eggs roll on the table, his free arm draping around her waist. At once her spine stiffened, the crown of her head brushing underneath his chin. Not able to resist temptation Undertaker rested his chin on the top of her head, drawing a deep breath. "Stop avoiding me."

"I cannot," Her reply was simply but shaky. He could pinpoint the shiver running up and down her spine at his proximity. How sweet, how marvelous that everything she was co-operated in creating these reactions. He replied to her by adding his other arm around her waist, pulling her close. The mortal skin felt hot, even through all the layers of cloth between them. "I cannot give you what you want, Undertaker."

"Do you even know what I want?" He could feel her heart pounding, her knees growing weak against him. Soon he was more supporting her than restraining. If only he could see her eyes right now, with blue fire blazing from them. How could she guess what he wanted? Eternity was such a feeble concept for his feelings. He leaned in closer, bringing his mouth next to her ear.  
"You, my dear lady. I want you, forever. Irrevocably, eternally and with as much laughter as we can muster."

Hot hands squeezed his, nails drawing over his skin, not in panic but in what might have been excitement. Madeleine's back pushed against his chest, sending shivers of anticipation over him. "It's impossible. I am to be married. You remember, don't you?"

His chuckle sent reverberations through her body, making her press closer. Was it just him, or had her breath grown slightly more ragged? "I remember all too well. But that doesn't mean we have to obey the rules. I could take you away from here, once my job has ended. There would only be us and a whole world to explore."  
Never before had he considered breaking the rules but now it seemed so logical. The only way he could have her was by stealing her away. Once her brother had died there would be nothing binding her to her family. He would be by her side until the very end.

"I… we can't," Undertaker decided her breaths had certainly grown hotter at the feeling of him pressed against her. Perhaps he was getting a little too excited at the proximity but he was still male. Could he be blamed for reacting so honestly?

Undertaker turned her around, placing both hands around the mortals waist to make sure she would not run. The groceries lay behind her, their purpose forgotten. Her expression wasn't angry at all, quite the opposite. Pink lips had parted slightly as she continued to breathe in that seductive way. Pale skin had flushed, blood faintly visible beneath it. His eyes focused for a moment on her chest, breasts moving up and down with the movement of her simply being alive. "We can do anything, dearest."

Her lips were soft and moist, hot against him. How had he lived without this sensation? Was life even a correct term for his existence before this? Nails dug in his back, minute flashes of pain serving to illustrate this pleasurable moment even better. Hands entangled in his hair, keeping him pressed close to her, refusing to let go of him.  
When he did break the contact she followed after him for a fraction of a heartbeat. Did she realize the effect she had on him, with lips slightly swollen from their contact? "Let me offer you eternity. Everything you want, I will surrender to you."

"If I go with you, I betray my family," she confessed, looking up at him. Had the Light ever expected of him he would be able to resist her?

Being as sincere as he could he pressed her hand against his chest, so she could feel his heart pounding against her palm. "If you do not come, you betray yourself. Your talents are better used paired with mine. Don't waste them in some foreign land where you are nothing but property."

"Undertaker…" Her free hand stroked his cheek.

"To my eyes there is no greater miracle than your existence, dearest Madeleine. My dear lady, all I want is your word that you'll give me a chance. If I can't make you happy in the coming month, I shall admit defeat."

"One month?"

"One month, in an attempt to gain eternity."

|37 Days Left|

"Your ears," Madeleine said decidedly, her lips slightly pouting as she tapped against the side of her cheek. With his lady love nestled in his lap, Undertaker found he had very little to complain about. Perhaps the ever-present little brother was a letdown in the blossoming relationship but he would have to accept the two of them were mostly inseparable. He suspected the little tyke was making sure Undertaker wouldn't go further than stealing a kiss.

"My ears?" The answer to his question had surprised him. He had asked what she liked best about his appearance, aside from his hair.

She smiled, leaning closer. The tips of her fingers stroked away a few fine tufts of silver. "They stick out just the tiniest bit. I think it's cute, even if you have those bits of metal stuck in them."

"Woof." Edward tried to hide the sound underneath a cough in such a way it was even more audible.

Madeleine sighed, turning away from Undertaker for a moment to look at her brother. "Don't tease him, brother. I thought you quite liked him."

"I do, sister mine. But the thought of having to share you with anyone is quite hard on me. Why, if this goes on any longer father might have to break off your engagement," Edward's eyes flitted towards the closed door. Though people rarely disturbed them there was always a chance they'd be soon.  
"He doesn't want to anger someone who also works for the King. But he won't let another dog take away his daughter when it could be beneficial to the family."

Undertaker relished the feeling of Madeleine braiding his hair as she spoke. "My love for you is entirely different from how I feel about Undertaker, brother. Please don't be jealous. And Undertaker cares about you as well."

The Reaper became very aware of his scythe and book in the corner of the room. He did not want to hurt either of them but unless he found the demons… "I find myself drawn to the Phantomhive family with every passing hour."

"Good." Madeleine nuzzled her nose against him. "Now, was there something else you wanted to talk about?"

Undertaker felt Edward's gaze on the both of them. The corners of his mouth curled up in a broad smile. "Woof."

|31 Days Left|

"Why don't you just give up already?" a voice called out behind him. The scent of a demon hung heavy in the air. Undertaker turned around, seeing not just one but two of them, sitting on the roots of a tree. "It's like you're trying to make a point here, Reaper."

"Too bad you didn't bring the one with the delicious soul along," The newcomer with the bluish hair commented. "I would have liked tasting that one. And then the townspeople would have gotten even more suspicious."

"Giving up is not on the agenda. Leave this town and never come back." Undertaker replied curtly, making sure the sunlight hit his scythe perfectly. He was wearing his glasses now, not wanting to have any disadvantage when it come to the demons. His long bangs nearly covered his eyes, obstructing his view enough as it was.

The demons chuckled, exchanging looks with each other. "Didn't you get your precious paperwork, Reaper? Ol' Rafael himself asked us to make sure the brat would look guilty."

He bit the inside of his cheek, feeling the tang of blood at the intensity of the gesture. The mere thought that his superiors would allow demons to steal souls. And to what end? To discredit the Phantomhive family? To bring his lady to tears? He pointed his scythe at them, straightening his back. "Leave."

"Stop this at once." A new voice boomed from between the trees at them. Directing his gaze upwards, Undertaker spotted an angel with deep golden wings. The robe he was wearing looked decisively uncomfortable. Thanks to his time in the human world he was also able to think of at least four methods to mess with someone wearing a robe. He would have to thank Madeleine again for kindling his imagination. At least he gave the demons the appropriate foul glances.

One of the demons stuck out his tongue, waggling it back and forth. "Sca-ary. So Michael is the one that's keeping watch around here? Don't worry, we won't touch the brat."  
"We might have a go at his sister however."

Undertaker gripped his scythe more firmly, knuckles turning white. "Stay away from her."

"Reaper, understand your position. All you have to do is capture the boy's soul and bring it back so it can be dealt with properly," Michael spoke with authority and displeasure.

"Is this what it all leads to? The Upper Realm making deals with demons to fulfill who knows what kind of twisted schemes? I won't have a part of it."

"You don't have a part in it. All your job entails is being a bystander."

The Reaper glanced around the faces of the gathered supernatural creatures, a sour taste in his mouth. Reaching in his pocket he found one of the doggie biscuits the castle provided him with almost daily. He popped it in his mouth, strolling off without a word. Perhaps being a bystander was no longer enough for him.

|25 Days Left|

Madeleine paced about the room, hands on her back. Although her desk was scattered in papers she ignored them, instead looking at the baker standing in the middle of the room. When Undertaker had entered she'd motioned him to take a seat. The man watched in interest.

"And you're sure that's what they're saying?"

"Every single one of them miss. Even my own kids have been picking up on the rumors. They all say young mas'r Edward was seen roaming around that spot, late at night." The woman replied, patting her skirt as she spoke. Puffs of flour swirled in the air.

"What are they playing at?" Madeleine shouted in anger, wiping papers away from the table. The white nothings flurried around the room, spreading in a matter of seconds. "Leave us," she commanded the baker before she resumed her pacing.

Moving around she bit the nail of her thumb, mumbling as she thought. Undertaker moved closer and stopped her in her tracks. Gently he cupped a cheek, tracing her heated skin. "What is the matter?"

"Someone has been trying to discredit my brother, attempting to make him look responsible for the murders." Undertaker knew that, just as well how he knew when her brother would die. Burnt at the stakes to atone for perceived sins. "But it's impossible. He has no time to go out gallivanting in the woods. He's with me every spare moment he has and if not with me, with father. There's no way he would… I mean… never… who would…"

The Reaper opened his arms, inviting her to bury her head against his shoulder. She obliged, breaking down as soon as his arms wrapped around her. Though the hushing sounds he made were enough to make her feel comforted he did not feel comfortable with his role anymore. "Madeleine… my dearest, have you considered running away until this all is over?"

"What do you mean?" she asked, her voice muffled as she pressed herself closer to his chest. He played with her braid, thinking how he had best phrase his words.

"Do you remember that man you saw on the first day we met? I'm sure you know he has something to do with this all. I've been trying to track him down but I can't stop him. But if you were able to hide your brother…" His voice trailed away. Nothing could change what was written in the Reaper books. Edward would die in 25 days. Never before had his lot in life seemed so helpless.

She shook her head, blue eyes looking up at him, still overflowing with tears. Her nose was delicate, slightly upturned, the sides glistening with tears that streamed down until they gathered in the corners of her mouth. Before she could speak, Undertaker pressed a quick kiss on that mouth, tasting salt and sweet combined.  
"A Phantomhive never runs away from danger."

"Then perhaps it would be for the best if you at least let me help you as well as I can. And stay away from the forest. The men in there are even more dangerous for you than they are for other mortals," He paused, thinking about what he could tell her. "Do you believe in the Light?"

She blinked, before nodding. "Of course I believe in God, Undertaker. Why?"

"Then you must also believe that there are devils out there, waiting to take your soul. I know there are forces at work here neither of us can defeat, dearest. But that doesn't mean we can't fight. Do you trust me?" How much that look full of hope hurt him he could never describe.

"Without you, I fear my life would be quite like a broken pencil."

He grinned. "You told me that one before. Pointless."

|20 Days Left|

Undertaker feared his heart might just about leap out of his chest. It had been the day of the party that Madeleine had been preparing for days. Though he had been unable to escort her - her father might try to kill him, which would have been hilarious in its inefficiency - he had been able to admire from afar. How sad it seemed to him that a creature so splendid as she was limited to the confines of her body. Would that she could live forever.

But now the party was over, not an hour to soon. Dawn was on the verge of breaking on a day that promised to be the warmest of the season. More importantly than that, it seemed his dearest had just a tad too much to drink. Not overly much, but certain inhibitions had been lowered. If Undertaker hadn't been certain the rest of the place was snoring like drunkards he would have been more inclined to temper her more. But this was one of the few times her brother wasn't in the same room as them. Still, perhaps some restraint would have been better.

Such thoughts had quickly fled from his mind when she had pushed him on a chaise longue, gloved hands spread over his chest. Warm legs straddles his waist as she pressed wine-flavored kisses on his lips. "Good morning, beloved."

He chuckled. "You didn't go to sleep, dearest."

"That doesn't change the fact that it is morning," she replied sweetly, capturing his bottom lip between her teeth. Undertaker gasped, certain that by now there was no question how much his body was convinced about where things should evolve from here. Not that it stopped his lady. To his surprise - and delight - she pressed herself closer to that offending part of his anatomy.

He pulled her braid apart, eager to see her thick, wavy hair undone. Beneath his finger tips her heart beat, her soul bursting forth with every breath she took. How had he failed to see the miracle that was humans before this? A steadfastness that rivaled that of Reapers and in her it was coupled with the pride of the Phantomhive family.  
"I adore you." He whispered to her in the early morning light.

Her fingers wiped the bangs from his eyes once more, stroking them over his head. "You're so handsome with your hair back like this. Don't ever change your haircut."

Undertaker took her hands in his, removing the gloves with his teeth before pressing kisses over the fingertips. "As my lady commands."

"Will you do anything I command?" her voice was barely a whisper, sending sudden goosebumps over his flesh.

"As long as it is immoral or wicked," he promised her with a sly smile.

Teeth gently nipped the skin below his ear, hot breath stroking over him. The sensation of a gorgeous, warm, voluptuous body over him was almost too much to bear. "Then I command you…" she pretended to think it over for a few seconds.  
"I command you to ravish me."

"Your command is my fondest wish."

|7 Days Left|

Undertaker looked about for his tie, certain it had been around here somewhere. In his movements he accidentally bumped into his Reaper book. It dropped on the ground, opening on the page where he had his bookmark, pink according to the wishes of his lady. His hair drooped down in supple waves as he bent over to pick it up.

His hand stopped.

Breath hitched in his throat.

Cold sweat formed over his body.

He reread the page, and then once more just to be certain. He put on his glasses, fumbling in his haste. Certainly he had seen it wrong. But no, on that page, in fluid, gorgeous handwriting he saw spelled out his worst nightmare.

Target name : Madeleine Phantomhive.  
Age : Twenty-two.  
Sex : Female.  
Reason for death : Exchange of equal souls.  
Manner of death : burnt at the stake.

Notes : target has been accepted as apprentice angel. Upon retrieval of soul bring to Upper Realm immediately. The soul must not fall in hands of demons under any circumstance.

He rushed to the Reaper offices, dispelling all of the respect for rules he had once displayed. Undertaker stampeded through the hallways, nearly trampling over a few hapless apprentices. Ignoring the line in front of Julius's office he stormed inside, panting as he held up his book.  
"What is the gods be damned meaning of this?"

Julius looked up, eyes widening at the sight of his old friend. Gone was the Reaper of yore. Immaculate pony tail had been replaced by loose-flowing hair, his glasses were nowhere to be seen and a gray scarf dangled unceremoniously around his neck. "Undertaker, what is the meaning of this?"

"I was first, Julius," Undertaker made clear, throwing his Reaper book on the table. The man glanced down, sighing.

"The girl made a contract with Lord Michael. You know he is mostly responsible for recruiting new angels. I hear his decision has caused quite a ruckus in the Upper Realm but these are indeed your new orders. Disturbing but it's not like your assignment has changed much."

Not much. The soul he had to reap had merely shifted from young and innocent Edward to the woman whose lips he had kissed merely hours before. "They can't. She wasn't supposed to die now."

Julius shrugged. "Orders are orders."

The words, once callously coming from his own mouth, now pierced a dagger in his heart. "No, they aren't just orders. Are we nothing but cogs in a machine, Julius?"

The dark-haired supervisor looked even more surprised than he had earlier. "Undertaker, are you feeling quite well? Perhaps three months was a tad too long. Let me call for one of the nurses-"

"I don't need a nurse! I need an explanation about why we go through this trouble!" Undertaker shouted, shaking a hand towards a collection of watches and files. What was the use of guiding souls if they were so easily interchangeable? Humans were all different. All souls were important. So why was Julius talking so indifferently about two of the souls Undertaker held dearest of all?

His long time friend stood up, pushing his glasses back up his nose with one finger. "Undertaker, calm down. It's nothing, just a soul."

"It's not just a soul, I love her. I love Madeleine Phantomhive and I refuse to let her die because some angels have it out for her family!"

Julius sighed. For a moment Undertaker could see movement reflected in the man's eyes but then it was too late. He was restricted by two other reapers, arms pinned behind his back. "If miss Phantomhive's father had been more careful about becoming a dog thing would have been differently. Don't worry, I'll have someone else take care of her soul. You should take some time to calm down."

|The End|

Of course he had been too late for only the tiniest second. He had fought against his bounds every single step of the way, every waking moment. He would wake up at night and resume his fight. Undertaker couldn't remember escaping other than distracting one of the guards with a doggie biscuit at one point. The second after that he had been running, making his way towards the portals.

He now fully understood how precious a second could be, even in an immortal life. Had he been faster, perhaps he could have saved her from the stakes. The fact that the Reaper book could not be changed by his hands but only by that of an angel held no meaning for him. He had been in time to hear the last of her cries. He had seen the dark smoke billowing up in the rainy sky as he stood upon the church tower. Below him the bell started tolling.

He held his hands out towards her soul, willing it towards him. Bereft of a body and mind to guide it's emotions it was hardly more than a ball of energy. Gold and white light leaked from it, bathing his hands in a warm light. But not as warm as her skin had once been. Nothing could rival the feeling of the sun that had seemingly been caught inside of her.  
"My dearest… forgive me."

The ball settled in his hands without a care. He had no book to store her in, no place to offer her. She was destined to become an angel now, out of his reach forever. How bitter the taste of eternity had become. A single tear dripped down, intermingling with rain. In response to it the ball turned a silver and blue hue as if to comfort him.  
"Why did you have to save your brother? I could have made you happy. I wanted to make you happy so badly."

His already blurry vision suddenly became even more clouded, tears dripping down in all honesty his body could muster. "I wanted to give you an eternity of laughter."

The ball flew up from his hands, instead gliding across his face. His tears were swept away by it but not the heavy feeling inside him. "I know… you would rather see me be merry. I never had the chance to do so many things for you."

"Reaper, we will be taking that soul now," A baritone voice called out to him. Looking up Undertaker saw an angel with deep brown wings and chestnut hair glaring at him. Rafael. "You will end this preposterous display at once."

Undertaker moved in front of the orb at once, shielding it from the hands of angels. "You will not take her from me."

Pain seared through his face, so intense he scarcely felt it the first few seconds. More pressingly he felt how gravity claimed his body, pulling him down to earth. With a sickening thud he landed in the mud. His first thought was how Madeleine would have reacted to finding his hair so dirty. Blood clouded his vision in one eye, making it harder to see than it already was.  
Still there was one thing perfectly visible. A shining orb, reminding him of a happy smile and horrible puns. Despite himself he laughed. He laughed about how pitiable he was right now, how stupid he had been in the past. He laughed about how prideful humans could be and how angels had been pulling the strings all along.

But most importantly, he laughed because his beloved was an angel now. No matter how many years separated them, he would see her again. And he would make sure to greet her with the best smile she had ever seen.


	2. Meeting Again

|Upper Realm|

"And that's your assignment. Don't forget to meet up with your supervisor before you go and be sure to follow regulations." The bored clerk did not nothing to temper Madeleine's enthusiasm for her first official mission.

Turning to Tamrat she grabbed the black-skinned angel's face between her two hands, squishing her cheeks. "I finally did it! I finally get to go with you and the others to the Middle Realm again!"

Tamrat slapped her hands away, rubbing her cheeks to soothe the pain. "You're awfully excited about this. I'm just going to tell you now, most of the times it's boring surveillance missions where nothing happens. At all. Last week I got stuck watching an old dude clipping his toenails every day."

Eduardo shook his head at seeing the two women together like that. "Relax, Tamrat. Madeleine stopped being a nuisance quite some time ago. But only a week after graduating is fairly soon to start working. Are you sure you want to go through with this? I could have a talk with Lord Michael you know."

"I feel a little woozy sometimes, but that's all. Say, what do they do during the graduation anyway? Everyone I know complains about it, but nobody knows a thing," Madeleine inquired, having noted how not a single full angel had second thoughts about the whole thing. Not that she really needed to know.

Tamrat shrugged, her wings moving along in the motion. "Who knows? Probably unlock our hidden powers. But it's not really important, right?"

The newest fully-fledged angel wanted to disagree but suddenly couldn't think of a single reason why she should worry. So what if she felt a little woozy? It probably was just a transition thing. "So, let's get started. Tamrat, you're with me on this one, right?"

The black angel nodded, her fine features forming a smile as she plucked the document out of her best friend's hands. "Sure thing. Let's see, what is it we have here?" the woman let out a slow whistle, prompting the other two angels to peer between her feathers to see what it was.

"C'mon, share the goods," Eduardo commanded, his fiery hair glowing copper in the candle light. Due to an untimely death - like pretty much all of them - he was forever stuck in the body of a fifteen-year old boy, though he was tall enough to compete with his female friends.

Madeleine let out a disappointed groan. "What are you excited about? There's nothing concrete in here."

Tamrat smacked the brunette on the top of the head with the document. "Well duh, that's the beauty. It means you get to gather clues down there and take it easy. Far better than a stake-out. You have to try the food, they have this thing called curry these days and it's to die for. And chocolate! You haven't even tried chocolate yet."

"Ladies, at least try to seem professional in front of your supervisor," Eduardo said, shaking his head in disapproval. The twitching of his mouth suggested he didn't really mind all that much.

"Don't worry, runt. We'll bring you back some chocolate. C'mon Madeleine, let's go."

|Middle Realm|

The two angels landed on top of a high building in London. Though Madeleine had been allowed to make a few short trips in preparation, the new view took her breath away every time she saw it. How much the city had changed in two centuries. Below her a throng of people made their way even though the weather was overcast. "So pretty."

"Maybe when the rain has washed away all the filth," Tamrat commented. The novelty of the city had faded in the fifty years she'd been working as an angel here. Assignments were supposed to be completely random, though the archangels did take care not to split up groups friends, which was why they had been allowed to remain together.  
"Let's see, we do have a dead body that caused the assignment this morning. It's fresh so the undertaker probably won't have had time to destroy any of the evidence. Why don't you go check it out?"

"Then what are you going to do?" Madeleine had thought Tamrat was supposed to keep an eye on her every step of the way.

"Pump the informants for details. Maybe one of them will have useful information and it'll make your job a bit easier. Just don't say anything to the bosses," Her best friend sounded as if she highly doubted being lucky enough to get info so soon in a case. "Remember, I'm just your wingwoman for this mission. When we find the perp you have to handle it on your own, unless it's a demon."

Madeleine shuddered when the d-word was mentioned. "Yech, let's hope not. That would be horrible for a first assignment."

"You know it," Tamrat said, scanning the crowd beneath them. "Well, better get going. I'll see you back tonight for additional reports. Feel free to go after the perp if you happen to find them soon, makes things nice and easy."

The two of them shared a mock-salute before Tamrat took off to a more central part of London. Madeleine located the street where the undertaker shop was situated and jumped off the roof. She landed in a secluded alleyway, walking from there to her target. Being in a physical body felt weird, especially since she had to walk on top of that. Once people got wings the whole walking kind of was thrown out of the window.

Her clothes - simple, white and soft gray - blended in nicely enough, making her seem like she belonged in the crowd. She had to suppress a squeal at the notion. How great this was! Maybe Lord Michael would praise her as well when she brought this to a good end. Just to make sure she would remain undetected she added a simple 'don't notice me' glamor. This way someone actually had to bump into her to pay her any attention.

'Okay, focus. I totally got this,' she thought to herself, trying very hard not to stare at the shops. Two hundred years was a long time and the supervisors hadn't given her more information than strictly necessary. For a moment she stopped at a toy shop to look at a stuffed bunny while considering her next move.  
First she had to get a look at the body to check for supernatural residue, like bite marks. Those would make her work a lot easier. If she couldn't find any of those she would have to go back to the scene of the crime.

The undertaker shop was fairly easily located. The building could have been considered nondescript had it not been for the huge sign spelling 'Undertaker' and an ornate skull to top it off. Three caskets of varying sizes stood outside for costumers to see.  
Madeleine paused outside the iron-framed door for a moment. How sad that for her first assignment she had to step into a shop dedicated to the deceased. She noted the lilies that had been engraved in the iron frame, a delicate touch for such a place.

With a deep breath she straightened her back. As a fully fledged angel it was her job to keep humanity as safe as possible. Thankful the door didn't creak as she stepped in she passed the threshold, silencing the bell that would have announced her arrival.

Inside the shop was dark and the air was cool. Caskets were all over the place, displayed on the ground and alongside the wall. The only light came from a pair of candles on the counter. Unsure of what to do she walked towards it. If possible she wanted to do things by the book. No screw-ups. Not on her first mission.  
Arriving at the counter she noted a beaker filled with a brown liquid. Slightly curious she sniffed it to discover the typical scent of tea. How odd that someone would not use a cup however. If she combined this with the sign outside she could only conclude the owner had to be a strange character indeed.

Breathing shallowly she continued her search, not fond of the chemical-saturated air. The small hint of vanilla in the air was a surprising contrast, one she added to the ever-growing list of things that felt off in this place. Truthfully speaking, the place creeped her out. Angels weren't very big on the whole 'dead' thing, which was why the Reaper department was so handy.

Finally she reached a room with marble slabs, two in total and both occupied. The one closest to her supported the body of a woman with hair the color of burnt licorice, the deep red slightly discomforting against the pale skin. Madeleine paused for a moment to take in the woman's mature face and wondered who she had been. But this wasn't the woman she was looking for.

The second marble slab proved to be more fruitful as she spotted strands of pretty, honey colored hair. She scanned the face for a moment, peaceful in death. There was no doubt about it, this was the victim. Gingerly she reached out towards the white cloth that covered the body. All she needed to do now was see if there were any marks on the body.

"Can I help you, my dear?" A high-pitched voice asked from behind her. Madeleine at once turned around as her heart leapt in her chest. Behind her a man dressed in funeral robes was leaning against the door, not in the least concerned about an intruder in the preparation room. Surprised she noted how long his silver locks were, falling down his back as he put a doggy biscuit in his mouth. With a giggle he looked up at her, or at least she thought he did. Half his face was obscured by silver hair, like moonlight shining on a lake.

That was when he seemed to change. When he did get a good look at her the man straightened his back instead of slouching. The biscuit fell to the ground as his teeth snapped through the end in his mouth. Judging from the way his mouth clenched he was more surprised now than he had been a few seconds ago. Everything in his attitude suggested a shock that went to the bone.

"Can't see me," she commanded at once, flicking a hand towards the man. It was too bad she had to use her power on a mortal but she couldn't allow him to see her. Not when she couldn't pretend to be something else than a nosy busybody.

The stranger relaxed his body stance before walking over to her in firm steps. At once she started to panic all over again. This wasn't supposed to be happening. Humans couldn't resist the power of an angel that easily and this guy was just an undertaker. Hurriedly she repeated the incantation, waving her hand in front of her. She felt the energy knit itself in the appropriate pattern, wrapping around the man.  
As he stopped in front of her she swallowed. The top of her head just barely reached his chin and yet she couldn't see his eyes. He was close, though not so close it was inappropriate. Still she had trouble breathing all of a sudden because this wasn't supposed to happen.

Madeleine flinched as he brought his hand up. His slender fingers were cool against her skin, the gentle caress sending a shiver down her spine. What was up with this guy?  
"… Dearest?" The man asked, the titter that had been audible in his previous sentence nowhere to be heard. The stranger sounded as if he had seen a ghost, fearful that she might disappear should he put more pressure than just that featherlight touch across her cheek.

"Uhm… my name is Madeleine," she offered, unsure of what to do now. How was this man immune to her powers? "Who are you?"

As if the question had burnt his hand he jerked away, though he did not lessen the distance between them. Madeleine could feel his gaze fixated on her through the silver curtain that shielded his eyes from her. Surprised she noted the faint scent of vanilla in the shop seemed to be coming from him.  
His shoulders sagged down, the hand he had used to stroke her cheek dropping to his side. "I thought… I must have mistaken you for an important friend of mine. Apologies,"

Madeleine felt a pang of sadness for this strange character. 'Dearest' wasn't just a title for a close friend. Had he mistaken her for a past lover? "That's okay. Everybody makes mistakes. You are?"

The man stepped away from her, averting his gaze if is he could not stand the sight of her. "I'm Undertaker, and this is my shop."

"Under… Taker…?" she repeated slowly, thinking the name a tad odd. What was she supposed to do now? Nothing in the guidebook ever mentioned anything about this sort of situation. Humans were not supposed to be immune to an angel's glamor. So who was this guy?

He nodded, still with his back half towards her. "That's right. Now, what are you doing in my shop, de-… my dear?"

Once again he sounded strange, as if he had suddenly lost something precious to him. Yet the emotion she felt coming from him was not as strong as his voice had suggested. Another thing that was strange about this character. What should she do? She didn't have clearance to adjust someone's Memory Reel.  
"I'm… with the police. They sent me here to investigate a murder near the site of the Tower Bridge. That's the bridge they've been building for a while now."  
The pain hit her hard though she managed to keep a straight face. The pain from a lie was something all angels had to suffer. A way to remind them they were supposed to be serving the Light, that was how Lord Michael had described it.

"Pretty strange for a woman to be working for the police, isn't it?" he asked her with a feeble titter in his voice. "You should work on your lies more, -" he stopped himself before he could once more call her 'dearest'.

"I just want to have a look, that's all," Madeleine said in between clenched teeth. Would knocking him out count as a violation of the rules?

She could just see the side of his mouth curling up in a slight smile. "No doubt you do. And what will you do after you take a look, I wonder? Will you go to chase the big bad beastie that caused the damage?"

Madeleine opened her mouth to ask him what he was talking about when he removed the cloth from the body. The woman on the slab had appeared peaceful enough when covered, though the illusion was quickly broken when the remains were exposed to full view. In fright the angel clasped a hand over her mouth, afraid she might shriek in surprise.  
What had done this was no mere serial killer. Wounds like these she had never seen before, gashes and bite wounds, claw marks disfiguring ashen white skin. But there was no scent of a demon on the woman either, just the scent of something else. Something that smelled horribly wrong.

Meanwhile the man - Undertaker - seemed to be studying her from the side, one hand brought to his face so she couldn't see if he was smiling or not, the long black sleeves dangling down. "Well then, is everything to your liking?"

The angel swallowed once, trying to get rid of that barrier in her chest. Whatever had done this should be stopped before more people got hurt. Yet the thought of going after it on her own seemed daunting. Protocol demanded she get back-up if she suspected she wouldn't be able to handle it on her own.

"I hear that in an hour or two the police will go to inspect the crime scene themselves. Would be a shame if they ran into the beastie and ended up the same as well," Undertaker continued.

Two hours? Would she be able to find Tamrat before then? Inside her she felt two sides twisting, arguing about the best course of action. Of course she had to protect humans, but she also had to do things by the book. She wasn't allowed to make her own decisions in the field. "I… I'll…"

There was something funny about how Undertaker spoke to her. A certain familiarity perhaps. "Then I shall go and see. Somebody should probably step in."

Panicked she turned around, grabbing him by the sleeve. He stopped at once, his back still turned towards her. Madeleine held fast, breathing rapidly as deep inside her the need to follow the rules screamed out at her. "You can't go. Whatever the thing is, you will die as well."

For a moment she thought he might take her hand. A finger slid against her, the pressure pushing the sleeve against the inside of her wrist. Then he withdrew once more as if he couldn't bear to touch her. "If angels fear to tread a certain place, perhaps it would be more appropriate for one such as me to have a look."

Madeleine felt as if the ceiling had just caved in on her. "How do you? What? Who are you?"

Undertaker pulled his sleeve away from her fingers, walking towards the door. "That would be for me know and for you to… well, not know. Are you going to let me go alone? I might get killed."

Rule one : angels must at all times serve the Light to their best capacity.  
Rule two : humans must be protected at all times, unless this conflicts with rule one.

If she let him walk out now there was a good chance he would get killed. Which meant a casualty on her very first assignment. Other than that, this seemed to be a human who not only knew about angels but was immune to her power. If he died, all of his secrets and knowledge would die with him. "You're not going alone. I'm going as well."

Undertaker turned back towards her, the corners of his mouth curling up to an almost dangerous height. "Then let's make like a tree and leaf."

* * *

I wrote a second chapter. I'm weak, okay. I'm so, so weak! Forgive me. Also, reviews are cool and make me really happy. Though if you're too shy to review, that's okay too. No need to do something that would make you uncomfortable.


	3. Dear Phantom

|London|

Undertaker had to firmly resist the need to confirm it was no specter haunting him from the grave. And though he had touched her cheek - a warmth like the sun he had never expected to feel once more - there was still doubt. Because after her death there had been dreams. Rafael's blade had left a grievous wound and in his fevered hallucinations he had tried to save her again and again. Each time he had succeeded, only to wake up to hear that he had been dreaming. And his dreams had been so real. There had been warm touch and sweet scents and a lilting laugh. For years after that he had seen her everywhere.

And now once more a ghost from his past walked beside him, half a step slower than him. The sight was too much to look at directly, like one was an idiot for looking at the sun. Instead he observed her through his long bangs, from in between half-lidded he took a route that required walking through puddles and past laundry hanging to dry.  
Madeleine's feet splashed through water and left wet footprints across the muddy streets, her hands lifted sheets that got in her way as she tried to keep up, sputtering questions all the while. He answered with cryptic messages in the hope she would stop asking because her voice raised hope in him. How could he not be weak when confronted with eyes the color of a lake during a storm?

The Reaper had thought he had recovered from his past wounds. Just like the wounds from an angelic blade had healed, he had learned to believe that the wounds inflicted by a mortal heart had come to heal. But here she was and all he wanted to do was embrace her, hold tight to never let go.

But now there was more than just his perceived duty standing in between them. Laid between them was a chasm of two centuries of his pain and loneliness, his sins and plans. The lack of recognition in her eyes had devastated him. And he had known they would have altered her memory, but still he had hoped. For so long he had hoped.

"Master Undertaker, I was asking how you know what I am? Did I… betray something?" The question rendered the remains of his heart asunder. What to answer? How could he tell her that for one season he had loved her against reason, and that she had loved him as well?

He turned around with a grin, bending over her. Madeleine paused with a fierce fire in her eyes as he let his index finger ghost against her cheek. The Reaper feared touching her again because she might vanish into smoke and leave him alone once more. She might prove to be real and still forsake him.  
"Why would you betray something, my dear? Maybe I just am a special sort of person that knows this kind of thing."

There it was, that Phantomhive look he had come to know so well during the generations he had kept an eye on in memory of her. First the eyes opened up a tad, before narrowing ever so slightly. The nose would twitch, just the tip of it that would move almost like that of a bunny. His eyes settled on her lips, the way they drew into a small pout before she opened her mouth again.  
"Who do I look like?"

The question caused him to withdraw quickly, lest he betray something. He started to walk once more, grateful that his bangs along with his height made it harder for her to actually gauge his reactions. When she repeated the question he answered at long last. "You look an awful lot like yourself."  
Perhaps that was the key to dealing with this current situation, at least until he had gathered his wits about him. All he needed to do was convince himself she looked like the Madeleine he knew and he'd be fine.

Still, she didn't remember him.

"That's not a reply. You know that, right?" she asked him, hands clasped behind her back as she looked up at him. He regretted looking back at her in that moment because he knew that pose. He knew it well because that's how his dearest always asked questions.

"We've arrived," he announced instead, waving up a hand to indicate they had arrived at the construction site. The place was deserted, cleared by the police force. Not that it would mean a lot to Madeleine. Her concept of police force was a bit…outdated. The entire trip here she'd looked around in wonder and surprise. A few of the food shops had even made her forget questions, or that she was supposed to follow him.

Now she scanned the scene with an air of professionalism, her eyes darting up to the sky every once in a while. From the way she held herself he saw she was having an internal battle. Go along with him and keep the strange man safe? Or go back to her superiors? Which order had prevalence? Though he didn't have details, he did know some of the rules when it came to angels. He had to ask. "How long?"

"How long what?" she asked him again, dark brown eyelashes fluttering up and down as she appeared to be taken aback.

How much longer was he supposed to endure this agony? "How long have you been a full angel now?"

The angel's eyes narrowed once more, a hand placed on her hip as she scratched the back of her head. Her hair was in a low ponytail which he disliked immediately because it didn't match with his fondest memories. "Little less than a week now, I suppose. This is my first assignment and I really don't want to screw things up. So could you please just tell me how you know?"

"Oh well… I have my ways," he muttered, preparing to step inside. His heart felt like it might implode when she grabbed his arm with both hands, stopping him. Hoping his smile wasn't shaky he glanced sideways, moving his head a little to the side to see her better. "Is there a problem?"

"Something smells funny in there," she muttered, holding his arm tightly. He jolted when she looked straight in his eyes, even though she couldn't possibly know she was doing it. "Every time… every time I touch you, you flinch. There's no need to worry, I'm supposed to protect humans."

"I'm still going in ahead first," he replied in what he hoped was a suave tone of voice. Undertaker needed some way to make sure she would come back to him. This one chance meeting couldn't be it. There needed to be some way to unbalance whatever it was they did to angels that made them so… light-loving and human-protecting as they were. He entered the underground tunnel where the foundations for the bridge were being laid, burrowing in the corners of his mind for a solution.

Madeleine slipped past him so she could walk in front, muttering something about first line of defense. Not that it mattered much, he could still perfectly well look over her head to… well seeing wasn't really an option without his glasses. But at least he was used to getting around like this. The light that came from torches at regular intervals helped some.  
As they walked he studied her, hardly noticing how the scent of blood got thicker with every step they took. First he needed some way to make sure she would return. Kidnapping probably wasn't the best way to rekindle an old flame. And then he would need something to spark her memory. After that he could tell her everything that had happened to her family.

When she raised a hand to warn him the Reaper fought himself so he wouldn't take hold of it. "Did you hear that?"

"Mhm?" he asked, having been so lost in making plans and fitting her in already existing ones he hadn't been paying attention.

"Listen."

There it was. A faint, wailing sound. Almost like… "That sounds like a child."

"Not just a child. That's a baby," Madeleine replied, reaching for her belt. For the first time Undertaker noted that his sweetheart was armed with a dagger. Judging from the smell the thing that was waiting for them was more than a match for that weapon.  
"That woman in your shop… any idea who she was?"

Undertaker shook his head when she turned back to look at him, the conversation occurring in hushed whispers. "No idea. My guests aren't usually that mangled and this one didn't even have a name tag."

He could see the angel she was weighing the decisions the human in her would make. "I'm saving that baby. You stay here where it's safe."

"No. I can help you," Undertaker at once said, not daring to touch her. If he touched her he might lose control and confess everything.

"You're human. You stay here," Madeleine ordered, pointing a finger at his nose.

He inclined his head with a smile, happy to see his dear had gotten such a confidence boost. Still he couldn't quite let her walk towards her doom without some assistance. Between the two of them he was far more suitable to receive a few extra scars. Pretending to obey her wishes he walked towards the only two lit torches in the corridor. With his shoulder he bumped into one, sending it to the ground and into a puddle. "Oops!"

When she turned to him he made a show of being startled by the first torch, walking straight into the second one which followed en suite. Within five seconds the place was doused in darkness. "Clumsy me."

"Master Undertaker!" she hissed in the dark, like a cat feeling uncomfortable.

He giggled, pressing a hand against his mouth to prevent a full-blown laugh. How cute when she got annoyed. "I can't help it, once you're a certain age you get all clumsy, m'dear."

"Stay. Put."

Well, that was a pretty solid suggestion had she been talking to a human. Judging from the dull sound he'd heard just now she wasn't quite that good at getting around in the dark. With a sly smile he tip-toed to where she was, and then around her while she slowly walked through the dark. Though they were both following the sound of the crying baby, he was just a tad quicker. A useful side-effect from having learned to get by without his glasses and one for which he was now quite thankful.

He'd gotten adjusted to the darkness quick enough and entered the round space before the angel did. Perhaps her being night blind wasn't so easily cured simply by dying. Something moved in the dark, a swishing sound like fur and padded feet on dirt. A faint light illuminated a crying bundle on the ground, the creature they were hunting moving around it but not daring to come close.  
Then it stopped, like ink on dark velvet. Undertaker could hear moist air being breathed in and out by the thing before a low growl sounded. Quickly he moved away from the corridor, Madeleine still lagging behind far enough so he wouldn't have to worry the creature would go after her.

The Reaper was right. The sound of padded paws followed after him. With his hand he reached for the amulet that would open the rip where he had stashed his scythe. It hadn't been easy taking it with him at the time, but he had never once regretted the decision. Then the creature stopped walking.  
Undertaker raised his head, turning to the side so that he might listen better. The sound of soft leather shoes had entered the room. Madeleine's breathing was slow and even, though still audible. The creature sniffed in the dark and chose a new prey.

That was not counting Undertaker. With the familiar weight of his scythe in hand he ran towards the creature. It smelled of wet fur and mold, howling when he hit it. Snarling it turned back to him. Undertaker moved back, feeling teeth snap closed in front of him. What a quick beastie it was.  
It jumped him. He retaliated by hitting it with the flat blade of his scythe. Howling it moved back again. The next attack Undertaker applied a slight cut, enough to make clear this prey had teeth. Still, he had no idea what it was. Most likely a creature that was just trying to make a living, though there were hints in the air of someone having messed with it.

The creature yelped and fell back. Pleased to have scared it Undertaker listened to the sound of heavy paws retreating. Relieved he turned around only to be hit squarely in the chest by Madeleine. "Gotcha!"

The laws of gravity had to be obeyed, and Undertaker had to keep some secrets. So they fell back, he cushioning the angel's fall as they landed on the dirt floor. Somehow the fighting had scared the baby into silence, the only sound around them the steady dripping of water.  
The light source near the child was enough to bathe the angel in a soft amber glow. Hurriedly Undertaker covered her eyes as he realized his face was exposed.

"What are you doing?" she demanded to know, turning her head in an attempt to see.

He chuckled. This entire fight had gone perfect and then he'd almost screwed up by letting her see his eyes. "Some things are better off remaining a mystery."

Annoyed she put one hand on the right side of his face, trailing over the scar tissue that lined his cheek towards his left eye. The other hand she placed on his chest, trying to raise herself away from him. He followed up, leaving her straddling his waist.  
This closeness was almost painful. Her eyelashes quivered underneath his fingers as her cheeks flushed. For a moment he savored the feeling of her fingers on his cheek as she trailed the contours of his cheek. The warmth of her body seeped through his clothes as she so gently continued to trace the scar.

"This isn't funny," she told him, adding the other hand to his face. He allowed the action. It wasn't as if she could see his eyes like this and he longed so for her touch. Her touch was almost hot against his cool cheek, fingers soft as they moved carefully. It was obvious her touch lingered at the scar, following the line as her mouth took on an unhappy shape.

Of course she didn't see the joke. Because actually the situation was so tragically funny he couldn't help but start laughing out loud, deep and hearty. The noise made the baby gurgle in delight as well. Grinning he wiped his bangs back into place before allowing her to see once more.

At once her gaze turned towards the child and the light above it. She still looked so unhappy when she spotted the light and recognized it for a soul. "So that's why the baby is still alive."  
Madeleine stood up and walked away from him, leaving him sitting there. Touching the amulet in his pocket once more Undertaker made the scythe disappear before following after her.  
"You were protecting them. It's okay. Here," she offered the light a clear gemstone.  
"I'll take care of things from now on. You can rest."

Undertaker bent over to retrieve the babe. Though it was cold and most likely hungry it seemed to be in a good condition. As Madeleine finished retrieving the stray soul she turned to him with a frown. "That was dangerous! You should have stayed in a safe place."

"And let a beautiful woman fight a monster on her own? Never," he offered with a grin as the baby grabbed the front of his funeral robes with a determined grasp. A delighted gurgle escaped once more from it.

Madeleine sighed, the only light in this space coming from the gemstone in her hand. "Well, that's that, I guess. Though I didn't see the thing that attacked people down here. I'll file a report and then we'll see."

"We?" Undertaker asked, not daring to let hope take root. The feeling of warm fingers across his scar still lingered.

With widened eyes Madeleine quickly corrected herself. "Well, I mean, I would see. You were of some help but… but…"  
She smacked herself in the head. "What am I even getting nervous for? You're the human here. You should be freaking out and you're as calm as a demon in hell."

Undertaker held up the little bundle of joy in his hands for her to see. "And what are your plans for this?"  
When she remained quiet he continued. "It would be a shame sending it to an orphanage when the parents might still be somewhere. At the very least we should be finding what it's named, don't you think, my dear?"

Madeleine sighed. "I suppose… but that's not my job."

"Or I could just take care of it. Raise it as my own in the shop."

When he mentioned the shop he got the desired effect. At once she held out her arms for the child. "Oh no. An undertaker shop is no place for a child."

Undertaker cradled the infant in his arms, feeling not quite as horrible as he could for manipulating his darling this way. All was fair in love and war and he needed to see her again. At least until he could find a way to restore her memory. "Well, the Upper Realm is no place for a human baby either. I suppose I'll take care of it until we find the parents."

"We?" Madeleine asked, sounding as if she already knew what he was going to answer.

Undertaker smiled, moving closer to Madeleine. In his arms the child stirred, not knowing it was being held by a Reaper who was blackmailing an angel. "We. I assume you'll want to bring your first mission to a happy ending."

"You know too much," she muttered in reply, gesturing towards the exit.

"And you're very curious to know how."

"Curiosity killed the cat," Madeleine replied, already sounding as if she regretted her decision.

Pleased that he would be seeing her again soon Undertaker nodded, smiling as she seemed to consider him anew. He would get to work on restoring her memory the moment he got back to his shop. "Yes. But satisfaction also brought it back."

* * *

I solemnly swear to make any tears I make you all shed up with just as many fluff moments in the fic. Starting from the next chapter, along with more plot and angelic bastards and stuff like that =)  
Remember kiddo's, reviews make me a happy writer, and if you really want a specific fluff moment feel free to request it. If I can fit it in the story I'll happily make it so ^^

Razzeeberry : I'm weak because I can't stop myself from starting a new story when I'm convinced I have a good idea. Though I am happy you like it so far ^^

BoboMidorima : This is now officially a story, though I'll keep it tagged as complete due to the original one-shot status. Unless people think that's a bad idea?

CeruleanKiss : I'm so happy to hear from you again and I hope you've been alright! Also so sorry to make you cry T.T It's a compliment to me, that's for sure, but still I hope I'll be able to make you smile in the future as well ^^


	4. Who Are You

|Upper Realm|

Madeleine nervously held the gem holding the soul she had found. She hadn't fulfilled the mission since the creature that had attacked those people was still running loose. But she had found this soul and for now the baby they'd found was safe with Undertaker. Though safe may quite prove to be an overestimation. He didn't seem like the type that could keep a houseplant alive, let alone a babe.  
And yet as she looked around she had to admit that it was still a better option than the Upper Realm. Though everything here was light and airy, with fragrant wooden floors and gorgeous statues in the administrative quarters, it was probably not so suitable for a human.

"Don't tell me you let that one go out so soon after a second Reel. You know what trouble we had the last time we did that," An urgent voice spoke from around the corner, making Madeleine pause in her steps. Though she had not often seen the owner of it she knew the person speaking must have been Lord Rafael.

"I know, but she seemed so excited. And it's only a small mission, I saw the file myself," That voice belonged to Lord Michael who sounded annoyed with the conversation.

"That was the official file. Should've sent one of the other ones. If you weren't so obsessed with obviously doomed-"

To Madeleine's surprise the two archangels rounded the corner. Panicked she glanced between the two men, pressing the soul gem against her chest. When Rafael's deep brown eyes landed on her she curtsied quickly. "I just returned. I wanted to report that I made progress in my assignment."

"Did you, Madeleine? What did you find?" Lord Michael asked her kindly, looking down at her with an affectionate smile. For the moment she was too confused to feel the delight she would have felt otherwise at the look.

Instead she showed the sparkling gem to the two men. "I… there was a stray soul at the scene of the crime. But the culprit got away."

"Seems to me like you found the culprit," Rafael commented, taking the gem from her hands. Holding his features blank he slipped the stone in the folds of his robe.

"Excuse me? No, that soul is innocent," Madeleine started to protest.

"It's rare, but sometimes when a soul goes uncollected it goes berserk. Sad, but there is nothing to be done about it. What a shame people had to die. I'll have a stern word with the Reaper department," Rafael spoke, holding up a hand to Michael as he walked away.

Madeleine opened her mouth to protest. Though she hadn't seen the creature, there had been something down there. Something that had smelled of wet fur and other, more vile things. She was stopped by Lord Michael placing a hand on her shoulder. "Don't fret too much about Rafael, young one. He's always been a bit curt."

"Yes sir."

"Madeleine… when you were down there, did you feel something strange?" Michael asked her, still looking down on her fondly. The archangel towered over her, blocking the light from the candles in the hallway.

Strange? Only that she had felt so torn between helping Undertaker and reporting back. Torn between protecting someone and following rules, but she wasn't sure if that qualified. "No. Nothing strange."

"Good, good. Still, I would like you to rest a few days before you go down there again. Rafael was discussing it with me earlier, he thinks I sent you down too soon. So why don't you find something else to do for the time being? There are preparations going on for the upcoming Christmas party."

Madeleine nodded to indicate she had understood the hint before excusing herself. As she walked away she wrapped her arms around her waist, seeking comfort in any way possible. There was no way the soul had done THAT to a human body. Once again she felt that strange tug in her body where two different desires fought for dominance.  
She sighed, pausing in front of the door of the grand hall where most formal events would happen. Without knowing it her body had started to obey Lord Michael's suggestion. Yet she paused before knocking on the door.

He'd suggested she find something to occupy herself with. Why shouldn't she use her free time to at least make sure the baby found it's family again? Wasn't she supposed to protect humans after all?

|Middle Realm|

Out of reflex Madeleine silenced the bell in the undertaker shop before it could announce her presence. Inside goosebumps raised at once on her skin as the shop wasn't that much warmer than the weather outside. And just like the previous day there was no sign of the shop owner.

Nervously she walked around, shaking her head at the sight of yet another beaker filled with tea. From her previous tour around the house she remembered where the kitchen was and dropped the offending material there. As she moved back to the main room she thought she could hear something.

She opened the door where she thought the sound had come from. When she heard snoring she blinked in surprise. The sun had been up for several hours already, no time to be sleeping. More surprising was the coffin in the middle of the room, where the long end of a hat was drooping from one end.

Tiptoeing closer she noted that it was indeed Undertaker who had apparently decided a coffin was a grand place for a nap. On his chest lay the baby, sleeping securely in the blanket they had found it in. She paused, not sure if she should wake the man or not.

"… Master Undertaker?" Even in his sleep bangs covered the top half of his face. With a smile she noted he drooled in his sleep, just like the baby was drooling on his chest. The sight made her press a hand against her mouth lest she burst out in laughter.

"My my, I hadn't pegged you as the voyeuristic type," the silverhaired man commented with a big grin.

"You're awake!" Madeleine half-shouted before she remembered the baby was still sleeping.

Slowly the tall man raised himself, careful not to wake his young charge. Madeleine quickly took the baby in her arms so he could step out of the coffin. "Only had a few hours of sleep, honestly. I wanted to… I had some things to look into but our little friend had other plans."

"Is it a boy or a girl?" Madeleine asked, looking at the pink-faced baby. Chubby cheeks and a button nose were topped by golden curly strands of hair. When no answer came she looked up to find Undertaker studying her. "Master Undertaker?"

He straightened his shoulders before quickly moving out of the room, motioning her to follow. "It's nothing, nothing. Not the baby, that's a boy."

Madeleine took even steps, the child sighing as she moved. They couldn't keep referring to the child as 'it'. "Edward then."

Undertaker froze as if someone had dumped a bucket of freezing water in his robes. "Edward? Why that name?"

Why? She frowned, not quite knowing why she'd chosen that name. "It just sounds nice. Edward is a good name for a young boy."

"Yes, I suppose it is," the man agreed with her before he kept moving. He ducked inside a door, popping back outside in the same second as she almost went inside. His constant jerking around was making her fidgety. "Would you like some tea?"

"Tea would be lovely."

A few minutes later she was sitting with little Edward on her lap, nursing a beaker of warm tea as Undertaker was hauling several books from underneath his shop desk. He had insisted she sit on one of the coffins, after offering her to take a look inside one. "Will you now tell me how you know what I am?"

"I don't give information for free, my dear. You'd have to do something for me in return," Undertaker said, his voice muffled from underneath the desk.

"Well I do have some-"

"No money either," He answered, raising himself fully up. He walked towards her, suddenly seeming excited for something. "I want something much better than mere money."

Madeleine scowled at him, offended he dared to insinuate something. "If you think I will do anything of that sort with a man I don't-"

"Jokes."

"Eh?"

He leaned closer to her, the scent of vanilla intensifying as he did so. Vanilla and dirt, gingerbread mixed with chemicals. "I like laughing. If you tell me a joke I'll tell you what I know."

His excitement made her smile as well. "What a strange character you are. I'm afraid angels don't tell quite that many jokes."

The way he hovered above her wasn't frightening at all, mostly because he seemed to be restraining himself from coming even closer. He raised his hand as if he once more wanted to touch her cheek but stopped halfway. Instead he gave the beaker of tea a quick tap. "Your tea is getting cold. Don't worry, I can wait. You can keep coming back until you know a good joke."

When he moved away Madeleine took a quick sip. "You mean like 'let's make like a tree and leaf'? Because that was a horrible pun."

For a moment she sensed a pang of sadness from him, but so minute she might have imagined it. "It's my favorite. If you can find any other of my favorites I'll tell you everything I know."

"That could take ages."

"That means you should keep coming back, doesn't it? Was there a reason for your visit, apart from asking me what I know?" Undertaker asked her, leafing through one of the thick books he'd cleared from underneath the dust.

She looked down at the still sleeping child and wondered how long the child had been up that night. "I… my supervisor suggested I do something beside a mission for now. And I thought that finding little Edward's family might be something useful for me to do. You know? I thought I could stop by here and see if maybe his blanket holds some clues."

"Not the blanket. But my young guest's clothes did hold some useful information," Undertaker said, pulling a pink bookmark from his sleeve and placing it in the book he had in front of him. "I'll come with you."

Before Madeleine could object he'd pulled a dark gray coat from underneath the desk, from the looks of it brand new. As he helped her put it on she sputtered, "But it could be dangerous. And it's my mission, I shouldn't burden you with it."

"I insist. I don't often get to walk about town with a pretty lady. Consider it the price for me telling you where the next clue lies," Undertaker told her, buttoning up the coat for her while she was occupied with holding the infant.

So it was that she once again walked the streets of London with Undertaker guiding her, this time not through winding, small streets but along the main streets. Though he attracted quite a few looks she could not have asked for a better guide. As they walked he pointed out shops that might interest her, along with food vendors that sold things she'd never seen before. When she paused in front of a street she did not remember being there he explained to her when it had been built, almost as if he had been there at the time.

After half an hour she started to observe her guide more than she did the surroundings. The scar that rippled across his right cheek moved as he spoke, the corners of his mouth almost naturally curling up as he explained things to her. She noted another scar on one of his pinkies, indicating that had once been severed. Though he was tall he adjusted his step to her and helped her navigate the crowds more easily. And his hair… Eventually he caught on to the fact that she was paying more attention to him than to the road.

"Do I have something on my face?" he asked her, already patting his cheeks in search of lost cookie crumbs.

Madeleine quickly looked down at Edward, who had woken up and was looking around with the kind of disinterest only a baby could have in tense social situations. "I was just thinking that you're… you're actually a very considerate person. Without you I think I might have gotten quite lost. Oh wow!"

They had arrived to a large square where people were busy hammering together wooden stalls. Madeleine had only ever seen so many people together in the main halls of the Upper Realm and there the volume was spread out better due to everybody flying. This resembled an ant hill somehow, people moving through the crowd with an easy she couldn't fathom.

"They're setting up the Christmas market. I hadn't realized it was that time of year already," Undertaker explained, placing one hand on his hip as he considered the scenery.

Madeleine tilted her head to the side as the baby grabbed one of the shiny copper buttons on her coat, intrigued by the shiny objects. "You said the shop where they sold the girl's clothes is across this square, isn't it?"

"Well, yes. But I couldn't help but notice you're a bit iffy when it comes to large crowds, my dear. Wouldn't do if you were to get lost somewhere in there," Undertaker mumbled, fidgeting his hands.

Madeleine considered the notion for a few seconds. If they were to walk around it would probably take that much longer before they finally got to the shop. She really wanted to finish up her little task before Lord Michael found out she wasn't busy decorating a tree in the Upper Realm.

"If you want… I'm not forcing you mind…" Undertaker said, his voice trailing farther away with each word he spoke. "…hands?"

"Hm?" She inquired, looking up at him in encouragement to repeat his question.

He took a deep breath before holding his hand to the side as he faced away from her. "We could hold hands. So we don't get separated, I mean. If you'd want to, dearest," Undertaker said quickly, looking anywhere but at her. From between his silver locks the bright red tip of an ear was visible, just underneath his black hat.

His hand was pale, with long black fingernails. The faint scar across his pinkie finger formed a slight contrast, though not quite that much. Suddenly she felt very nervous, for reasons she didn't understand herself.  
Shyly she slipped her right hand in his, looking at the ground as she balanced Edward with her left hand. "You really are pretty considerate."

His hand was cool but not unpleasantly cold. She felt the callus on his palm, probably from building the coffins in his shop. His index finger was outstretched, the long nail resting against her wrist. Though he was gentle, his hand could not help but completely envelop hers. When Undertaker replied his voice was oddly muffled. "It's not quite as selfless as you'd think."

Madeleine kept her gaze fixated on the ground, picking up on the tense situation but not knowing how to handle it. Though it was just holding hands it felt like something more important. Maybe it was because he'd called her 'dearest' once more. Glancing at him she cleared her throat. "Are we going to keep standing around?"

"No, of course not," Undertaker at once assured her. Her question seemed to have roused him from his state of immobility. His steps were almost the same as before, only now he made sure that she always had enough space to walk right beside him. All the while his grip remained gentle but firm, making sure that no matter what would happen they wouldn't accidentally get separated.  
"Madeleine… do you happen to know your last name?"

With a triumphant look she nodded. "Of course, my last name is… it's… isn't that odd?"

"I'm quite sure that's not it," Undertaker chided her gently, his thumb quickly running over the side of her hand.

The thing in her head once again started to protest that no, it wasn't important. It was only a last name. Didn't she have more important things to worry about than something as stupid as that? A collection of sounds was not as worthy as the Light. "My name is…"

"Dearest. My dear. Maybe I asked the question too soon. Though it would be good if you were to keep thinking about it a bit longer," Undertaker spoke softly, guiding her in between two pockets of people. When a man threatened to bump into her, he moved in the man's trajectory, shielding her effectively.

The angel nodded, feeling a bit woozy when she tried to remember her full name. Somehow it felt like it had been important to her in the past. "No, it's okay. I think it's a tad strange, that's all. It's not something a person would forget so easily."

"It isn't," her protector agreed, the grip on her hand increasing every so slightly. When they had crossed the square he made no sign of letting go of her, instead guiding her slowly to the shop where they had to be. In front of the shop they halted as he looked up at the sky.  
"After we visit this place we should call it a day."

"Would you mind if I stop by again?" Madeleine asked at once, looking at their joined hands. Strange how noninvasive this pose seemed. He held her hand with such implied ease, as if he knew exactly how to make her feel safe.

Her question made him smile again, not like when he'd heard something funny. There was no nervous titter or boisterous rumble in his voice. Instead he inclined his head and nodded slowly. "If you'd like to, I would be very happy to have you as my guest again."  
His thumb once more caressed her wrist, a movement he scarcely seemed to notice he made. It should have made her feel uncomfortable. But instead she accepted it as part of his character.

"Tomorrow then. What time would be best for you?"

"A little after noon. We can have tea together before we continue the search. I'll bake cookies."

* * *

So, yeah... Cute enough for you guys? I've got lots more fluff planned for this fic - and heartbreak, I am so sorry - but I'd appreciate feedback. Too much? Too soon? Not enough? Tell me! (If you're too shy to review send me a pm) ^^  
Next update will most definitely have to wait until I update my Sebastian fic since I just realized I didn't alert the folks reading that one I started to serialize this one. Also, I have exams until the end of next month. Woe is me.

Amandalucia darling! : Glad to hear you like it ^^ Hearing from you always makes my day =D

NightlyRowenTree : Sorry for making you cry, though it's quite an honor to hear it. Weird how that works, right? Anyway, I hope you enjoyed this chapter as well ^^


	5. Friends

|Upper Realm|

"You are a complete and utter idiot. An embarrassment to the corps, not to mention you don't even have the balls to ask out a former apprentice!" Rafael snapped as he picked up some forms from his desk, more to have something to do than because it was necessary. While they were waiting for the other archangels he might as well chew out his brother in arms.

Michael groaned, rubbing the back of his neck. "Sheesh Raf, you're going to make me blush. What's been eating your feathers?"

"Your apprentice!" Rafael snarled, slamming the papers on the table. "The one you insisted on drafting in the Upper Realm a little while ago?"

"It's been 200 years and you are-"

"Don't nitpick semantics with me! If you weren't still infatuated with Lucifer we wouldn't be in this mess. But no, you had to have a thing for the cursed girls. Not only that, you keep making moon-eyes behind her back even though we both know that if it was possible you'd crawl back to Luce and offer your balls on a silver platter to her." Rafael seemed very displeased, wiping his chestnut hair from his eyes as he spoke.

"Is this what it is about? My feelings for Madeleine won't interfere with anything," Michael promised, taking a bite from the lunch they'd picked up before this small meeting.

Rafael exhaled so strongly Michael could feel the air current from where he was standing. "It is already interfering! You sent her out on a mission even while you know what happens to apprentices who've gotten a second Reel."

"Only if someone tells her things she doesn't have to know. Who could she have possibly met while doing some basic recon?" Michael retorted, taking a big bite of pasta and spinach. "What are the odds of her running into someone who can even see a cloaked angel?"

* * *

"I know you're standing there, y'know?" Undertaker announced to Madeleine who had been hiding behind his back with the baby. The angel pouted, trying to peer around his robes to the book he was pouring over.

"That's because you are not having tea with me and Edward like you promised. What's so interesting about those old books anyway?" she asked, finally managing to poke her head around his body so she could have a closer look. Panicking he slammed the book shut, actually hopping on the counter to sit on it.

With a grin he folded one of his legs over the other, leaning forward. "Spoilers! I can't tell you just yet."

"Not even if I tell you a joke?" Madeleine asked, tilting her head to the side. For some reason she still couldn't figure the man out. It was obvious he had some issues - nobody was this weird without issues - while she couldn't get a read on any emotions, not to mention none of her shields had an effect on him. And he kept talking as if he knew who she was. All in all he was a riddle she wanted to solve.

"Then I'll tell you who you are. But this is a special something and you'll just have to wait." With a grin he hopped off the counter, stashing the book beneath it as he ushered her to the door. When he presented the dark gray coat to her she raised her eyebrows at him.

"Why do you have so many secrets?"

With a chuckle he took the baby from her, tiny fists at once grabbing his long hair. Undertaker managed to keep looking cheerful while Edward tugged at the strands with all his might. "One of the perks of age."

That was another thing. Judging from the hair he should be rather old but he was too sprightly to be ancient, speaking from a human point of view. With her two hundred and something years she was the oldest being in this room and still this man had the capacity to call the shots. It was unbelievable.

"M'Lady," he offered, holding the door open for her before sliding the 'closed' sign visible for customers to see. Their visit to the clothing shop last time had directed them to one of the better off families in London. If the information was right that would be an end to the current investigation. Madeleine sighed. Solving this mystery hadn't taken nearly as long as she had secretly hoped.

"What's the matter then? You want to hold the baby?" Undertaker asked, draping his gray scarf so the child wouldn't drool on it.

Madeleine shook her head, stuffing her hands in her pockets as they walked. "No, it's not that. After we deliver Edward I'll have nothing to do down here anymore. Then I'll be stuck up there decorating a Christmas tree because it's 'dangerous' for me to be down here."  
The only thing that was wrong with her right now was how woozy her head felt as she tried to remember her last name, or how her body sometimes tried to return to the Upper Realm if she wasn't paying attention. She failed to see how those things were being caused by her stay in this realm.

When Undertaker grasped the fabric by her elbow she looked up in surprise. Despite most of his face being hidden he still managed to look quite agitated by her sudden declaration. "There are still plenty of things you can do here! And you still don't know why I know so much about you."

Madeleine smiled, putting her hand on his in an attempt to comfort him. She hadn't thought the strange man would be enjoying her company so much. And honestly speaking, she had come to appreciate his company as well, for as much as one could in less than four days having known one another. "I believe you are quite right about that. Still, how cruel you should keep secrets from me like that."

The smile on her face showed she didn't quite mean that last part, despite actually being quite frustrated she didn't know yet. Undertaker relaxed his shoulders. "Good. I mean… If you don't want to be here, or if you think me to be a bother-"

"Nonsense. You've been a delight," Madeleine at once corrected him. "I think that without you I really would have gotten lost. Things have changed."  
Wistfully she waited on the street to let a carriage pass. All around her there was proof things had evolved while she had been gone. The streetlights alone mystified her to a certain extent. Humans had really become something else after her death.

"Things never stay the same. And what's been lost can only seldom be recovered," Undertaker muttered underneath his breath before guiding her across the street. As they walked he rubbed Edward's head, seemingly quite pleased. "Though when you get back what had been lost… it's a strange feeling."

"I think they'll be very happy to see their baby back," Madeleine announced, pointing to the house the shopkeeper had directed them to.

With a nod Undertaker followed her lead, pausing at the door as the angel knocked. When the maid opened to ask what they wanted, the man presented the gurgling child with a broad grin. "We thought you might've lost a little something. One baby, house-delivered."

Two hours later they were standing outside, Undertaker holding a pound cake while Madeleine was the proud owner of a bottle of wine. To her great chagrin the kid had been named 'Marcel', one which she found wholly unsuitable for a babe. When he saw her face it took several minutes before Undertaker regained his composure.  
"Oh, please stop laughing. Can't a person frown anymore these days?" she asked him, looking as annoyed as could be.

"To think you'd get so offended over someone naming their kid. I think I cracked a rib," Undertaker sniffled, wiping a finger underneath his bangs.

She snorted, throwing her hands over one another. "Big meanie."

The insult made him chuckle. With an air of familiarity he mussed up her hair, cool fingers drawing in between locks of dark chestnut. "Only to people I like."

"Like, huh?" Madeleine repeated, looking up at Undertaker. Under her scrutiny the man suddenly became more serious, looking anywhere but at her.

"Well, when I say like, I mean in the way where one likes to-"

"I like you too," she said, slowly. "Despite all of your mysteries, you've been quite a friend to me."

Somehow her words seemed to make him sad instead of happy. He motioned for her to walk along with him, back to his shop. He stuffed his hands in his pockets, the gloom around him almost material. Madeleine wondered if she had said something wrong.

* * *

"You will never guess what I just heard!" Eduardo shouted, entering Madeleine's room. The angel was sitting together with Tamrat on the bed, engaged in a game of cards. The two of them were in their pajamas, legs crossed while they were bent over their game. At the intrusion of their male friend Tamrat tossed a pillow at him.

"No entrance allowed unless you're wearing pajamas. And where's Costel? He should have been here by now," Tamrat complained before drawing a new card.

The redhead pouted, tugging at his robes in frustration. "C'mon Tam, it's not like I'm actually sleeping over with you in this room. Y'know how the bosses make a fit if you haven't registered properly."

"Less excuses, more getting in the game. She's murdering me with her luck," Madeleine complained, looking at how the cards were dealt.

"Seeing as how you're already dead, that is quite impressive of me," Tamrat agreed, playing an ace. Madeleine grunted as if physically struck by the card.

She waved her arms weakly as she sunk back in the pillows, dramatically sighing. "No, that's it. The final blow. Tell mother I- aaagh!"

Eduardo rolled his eyes, hovering over the bed so he could take the higher ground. "That is the most horrible acting I have ever seen. And I have a century on you, Mad, so that's saying something. And listen to me when I have juicy gossip for crying out loud!"

"Then spill."

The boy folded his arms as he nodded sagely. "Well, actually Costel told me, but Rafael has him running errands. Seems like there have been problems with the Reapers, and I'm talking like a huuuuuuge problem. Not like Mad here setting fire to the dining hall,"

"Okay, that was just the once. You know I'm not good with fire."

Eduardo ignored the comment. "One of them went rogue for a few months. They say people got killed by a Reaper and they're calling it the 'Ripper Incident'. Can you imagine one of them going ballistic and killing people? These are the guys we use as a demon deterrent. They're supposed to care for humans, not off them when they have a chance."

Tamrat groaned. "Urk, the bosses are not going to be happy. So glad all we have to do is get rid of supernatural disturbances. Can you imagine having to work with mortals on a day by day basis? I know we're supposed to protect them but we do so much more useful stuff curbing the baddies out there."

Madeleine nodded to agree before she was suddenly assaulted once more by the strange thought that that reasoning wasn't quite right. Personally she'd enjoyed working with Undertaker the past few days. She shouldn't. Something in her mind whispered she should only be focused on doing good for more people. Not spend time with one. The scent of vanilla reached her nostrils.

Eduardo was holding out a piece of candy to her. "Costel sent these along for now. You okay there, Mad? Looking kind of pale."  
After she'd accepted one of the candies she remembered a small pack of biscuits Undertaker had given her. With a smile she shared them with her friends, hoping that whatever it was that had made her new friend so sad all of a sudden would be over soon.

"Anyway, I talked a bit more with Costel about that, and turns out this isn't the first time one of the Reapers went rogue," Eduardo continued, nibbling on his biscuit after commenting on the shape. "They had one a while back, seemed to be a pretty decent guy. Real good at his work until he botched it up one day after falling in love with a target. But he stayed with the force, so they figured it was all good. Then, one day, he ups and leaves. Took a bunch of books with him and his Scythe."

Madeleine finished off her first biscuit, wiping some stray crumbs from her face. "I didn't know Reapers could fall in love. Guess they're more like angels than we realized."

"Well, I wouldn't want to run into the last one. They never managed to find him again, and they tried. Even the archangels want to get their hands on him so who knows how strong he is? These cookies are great by the way."

* * *

Undertaker sneezed, for a moment thinking about the superstition that only happened when someone was talking about you. Sitting in his workroom with a book on his lap he finished off the last of his specialty biscuits. In the middle of the room was one of his fresh guests, a young boy of around fifteen. The body was ignored in favor of his current research, though he did plan on returning to it eventually.

Nothing. Nothing. Triple-damned nothing! It had taken him decades to crack the codes in these books. He uncrossed his legs, allowing the book to drop to the ground. Though the book had taught him a lot about Memory Reels and other curiosities, nowhere could he learn the location of memories that had been stored away. But he was certain they existed. During the practice sessions for correctly reading a Reel, Reapers were presented with an angel's Reel to learn the difference. They had to store them somewhere.

With a heavy heart he walked towards the marble slab that held his current visitor. Tomorrow would be Madam Red's big day. Though he wouldn't miss her that much - she had an appalling idea of humor - he had done his best so the day would be indeed her greatest feast ever. And he'd get the chance to poke fun at the tiny Earl while he was at it.  
A languid sigh broke from his mouth as he placed his hand on the dead boy's forehead. The skin, cold as ice, was unpliable but didn't possess the qualities Undertaker considered necessary for his next steps.

It wasn't easy finding the Reels that belonged to the bodies. Most of the time he was lucky; Reapers were so overworked a Reel sometimes had to wait a day before it was picked up. Unless of course he happened to pass by first and steal the little pretty away.

"I just want to make her happy," Undertaker explained the dead boy on his table. The poor thing had died from cold and hunger, not the first this season and certainly not the last. How wretched a mortal life could be. He wanted Madeleine to be happy, but for that to happen first she had to return to the Madeleine he had used to know.

He tapped the boy's nose, pushing a few strands of hair behind his ears. "They have to be keeping the Reels somewhere safe."  
Maybe he should take a look in the Reaper archives again. They had a large collection of books there detailing every life and yet he had never found Madeleine's book. He'd searched for it all the while he'd remained with the force. The angels probably removed the books as well, only handing them over when a practice session required it. Still, better be safe than sorry and break into the Reaper archives once more before he ventured in more dangerous territory.

He had so many things to do. He enjoyed keeping his shop running, loved being able to work with wood and crafting his coffins. But he had things to do and now that the little Earl was getting in deeper troubles with every step he took…  
All these centuries he had taken care of the Phantomhive family, in one way or another. He trailed the small mourning locket that contained Claudia Phantomhive's lock of hair, bringing it up to examine. She had been interesting as well, though in other ways that Madeleine had been.

His dearest was becoming more and more convinced that she wanted to know. Sometimes she would stand up as if she was going back to the Upper Realm before pausing by the door, questioning what she was doing. Then she'd sit back down and ask him again what he knew. If she kept doubting the Light as she was doing now he'd be able to tell her. At least it did not seem as if she was planning on being a good angel and obeying her superiors.

As the boy's Memory Reel started to show Undertaker examined it, waiting for the moment where he knew he had to adjust something. Perhaps further contact with his dearest would show him what he still needed to make this experiment a success. He was comforted by the thought that she considered him a friend, almost as much as he was wounded by those words.  
They had been friends, once. But they'd also been more. There had been a time when he could reach out to take her hand in ease, instead of hoping she would not turn him down on ground of him being a creep. Back then she would have turned her back on the Light in a heartbeat if he had asked her to.  
Now he had to wait and hope she would grow curious enough to want to believe him. And then he would retrieve her Reel and things would be right again.

* * *

Not much to say right now, except that I hate exams ^^ I won't be free of them until the 25th, so cry T.T

Amandalucia : Undertaker is about as mentally stable as I am ^^" Which... isn't really a compliment for me, now is it? Oh well, he is quite fun to write ^^ And I get to do a whole other angle than in my Seb story so it's a win win either way ^^

Razzeeberry : Gah, thank you so much T.T I always get worried I'm getting the pacing all wrong, and this story is superspecial to me so I really want it to be good ^^ Thank you for the confidence boost ^^


	6. Important Memories

|Cemetery|

"You're quite sure it's okay for me to be just sitting here?" Madeleine asked Undertaker, sitting on her knees next to an open grave on a blanket. Holding a sandwich in one hand and a glass of water in the other, she really hoped no caretaker would suddenly pop up and start yelling at her for doing something like this.

Undertaker's head appeared from inside the open grave, his hat bouncing slightly on his head during the motion. "Of course it's fine! Anyway, there's nobody around here to notice us anyway. And you can just become invisible if someone shows up."

He had a point with that but still… "They can still see you, dummy. What if you'll get in trouble?"

Her new friend bent forward in the grave again, shoveling out dirt at a steady pace. "I won't. You can trust me, my dear."

Madeleine tilted her head, trying to make sense of the situation. Over the course of a week Undertaker had been nothing but forthcoming, though a tad strange. Still she kept coming back, to her own surprise without having been found out by anyone. Though sooner or later somebody would notice how she was never to be found in the Upper Realm during the daytime.

This small excursion had been an idea of Undertaker. He still had a job to do and though he enjoyed her 'haunting him', he couldn't neglect his responsibilities. Over the course of a week she'd watched as he made coffins and received people who had recently lost a relative. She'd nearly boxed him around the ears when he commented how one corpse would need 'an extra-large size'. After that she'd taken over talking to grieving clients, much to his amusement. And she also talked him out of forcing people to tell him jokes when all they wanted to do was cry. Or at least, they'd struck a compromise with that.

Though the sun was shining the light was far too feeble to provide any real warmth. Moreover the ground had been frozen, which should have made Undertaker's work harder. He'd surprised her by having no seeming effort digging the fresh grave.  
She still couldn't put the puzzle together when it came to him. All she knew was that he really liked laughing and had a problem with recognizing personal space. And that he liked holding her hand when walking anywhere. Then again, there had been a few moments when she'd almost gotten lost in the city. Everything just looked different from the ground compared to when flying.

A sudden whine disrupted her thoughts. Looking to the side she noticed a dog sitting near a grave, whimpering occasionally. Undertaker had noticed as well, interrupting his work for the moment. "Don't worry about him. I had to bury his master there around two weeks ago. He comes to visit every day around this hour."

Madeleine studied the poor thing. The fur was a shiny dark brown, the eyes moist and intelligent. It was the whining that broke her heart, the soft whimpering stabbing pricks in her heart. "It's sad."

"Course it's sad, it lost the most important person in his life. But it's a dog, so it can't do anything about it," Undertaker commented without his usual titter. The corners of his mouth turned downward as he rested his chin on his arms.

"But I can feel the sadness," Madeleine replied, pressing a hand against her chest. Animals normally didn't emit much of a feeling but this one radiated such sorrow she felt tears welling up her eyes. Something inside her whispered again, suggesting she could be merciful and help the dog. She didn't have permission to alter a person' Reel but a dog she could do. Gathering power she lifted her hand towards the animal.

And was stopped by a cool hand, covered in dirt, the fingers circling around her wrist. Undertaker wasn't smiling this time. "Don't, dearest."

"But I can make it feel better. If it forgets about it's master, it can live happy again," she protested, looking at the dog again. Was it her imagination of was the same feeling of sorrow echoing from Undertaker's touch? A very faint feeling, like a glimmer in the dark.

"Don't. The happy times don't mean anything without the bad ones. And if you erase that man from the dog's memories it will be like he never existed." Undertaker sounded as if he didn't want her to argue with him. Moreover, it sounded as if he somehow meant more than just what he was saying.

Still she couldn't back off. The angel inside of her demanded she stopped this pain. "But it's the ones that are left behind that suffer the most! Wouldn't you want to be happy again after losing someone close to you?"

The question seemed to hit him hard, causing him to flinch. He took a long time before answering her, choosing his words as if he had trouble collecting them. "Being the one that's left behind is painful. But being the one that's forgotten is even worse. So… leave the dog be?"

Madeleine's gaze shifted between the whimpering dog and Undertaker. Somewhere deep inside her a voice was screaming she should do her duty. She was angel, created to stop sadness in the name of the Light. At long last she sighed and nodded, fighting the churning in her stomach every second. "If it's that important to you."

He smiled happily as if nothing had just occurred. "Good girl. Keep eating your sandwich now, not much of a picnic otherwise."

"You should eat too. It's no fun on my own."

"Graves don't dig themselves, now do they?" he retorted, letting go of her wrist. His touch left behind several bits of ground, dark against her skin.

She put down her glass of water, flicking her free hand. A shield formed underneath the grave in which Undertaker was standing. Another flick and the dirt rose up and seemingly flung itself from the grave. Undertaker raised his head, the stance of his mouth indicating he'd cocked an eyebrow at her. She shrugged. "Well, I can help you a tad. This is no fun on my own. Now, eat up!"

The angel offered the man the sandwich with a big smile, trying to forget about the previous sadness. Undertaker leaned his hands on the grass with a grin. "I'll eat if you feed it to me. Aaaaahhh…"  
He opened his mouth wide, waiting for her to comply with his wishes.

She surprised him by using a shield to toss a clump of dirt at his head. When he yelped in surprise she giggled, hoping she wasn't blushing too much. "If you want food, you should just come and get it."

Apparently those were the magic words because he started to climb out of the hole. It was the almost wicked grin on his face that tipped her to get a head start. "Well then, ready or not, here I come!"

* * *

"Ah, my grocery list…" Undertaker mumbled, patting his pockets in search of the scrap of paper. With a smirk Madeleine pulled it out of her own pockets, holding the thin material between two fingers. "Now how did you come by that?"

"You almost left without it, seeing as how you were dealing with a costumer on your way out. Where would you be without me?" Madeleine grinned in response to Undertaker's smile as he took the paper from her.

He surprised her by patting her on the head, cool fingers slightly brushing past her skin. "Maybe I should hire you as my apprentice. I'm sure you'd do quite well."

"Mmmm… I think it'd be quite funny. I don't think people like me would do well running a normal business," Madeleine mused, thinking about it. Maybe soon she'd be allowed to do missions again. It was getting harder these days to slip away every time.

Undertaker laughed as he brushed her hair back into place. "You'd be surprised!"

"Then again, your business isn't quite so normal either," she noted. "So yeah… that might work out. But I think I'll stay with the job I have for now."

Undertaker kept snorting with laughter the entire way to the shop, causing her to smile as well. She was happy to see him in such good spirits. Finally they stopped in front of a shop that smelled sweet, but not like pastries. This was the scent of perfumes and powders. Not understanding Madeleine looked at Undertaker, raising an eyebrow.

"I need cosmetics to make all of my guests looking pretty for their final party. One of the last ones nearly drained all of my supplies," Undertaker lamented, not looking sorry in the least. The way he stood in front of the shop indicated that he relished the idea of being able to splurge on supplies.

Undertaker hurried her in the shop with a sweeping gesture of his arm, the smile on his face betraying how much fun he was having just thinking about his upcoming shopping spree. Madeleine had to sneeze the moment she was in the shop, remnants of facial powder making their way through her nostrils. The sound drew the attention of the clerks and costumers, the former ones looking less than pleased when they saw the new arrival.

"The usual, master Undertaker?" One of them asked, already making his way up to the counter.

Her companion waved a hand in front of his nose, dismissing the notion. "You have a new collection in. I'll browse."  
Undertaker grabbed her by the arm, his nails slightly indenting her skin as he moved. Samples of rouge and lip paints were spread out on the table. While they moved the angel could hear the huffed whispers of several matrons, most of them commenting on having to share the shop with an undertaker of all professions.

"If you'd like, we have a powder in that perfectly compliments any skin tone," the other clerk offered, holding a brush that seemingly had been dipped in the stuff. Undertaker accepted the brush and, to Madeleine's great surprise, applied it to his own cheek.

"What do you think?" he asked her.

"W-well… I … you… what are you doing?"

"I'm as pale as a corpse, which is why I'm buying this. If it looks good on my skin it'll do my dear guests a world of good. Well?" Undertaker pressed her, examining his cheeks in the mirror. At least, she supposed he was. The Light only knew how he was able to see anything through his bangs.

Finally she gave her opinion. "It's not really blending well… I think…"

"You heard the lady. Maybe I should try this one," Adding the deed to his word Undertaker applied some white powder to his other cheek before asking her opinion again. When she confirmed it was better than the first one Undertaker waved the man away before he moved on to the lip paint.  
Madeleine clasped a hand in front of her mouth when he applied the deep red on his own lips, making a kissy face at one of the mirrors available.

"Sir, please refrain from doing this," the unhappy clerk implored at once.

"I'm a professional dear boy. Don't worry about me, help your other clients," Undertaker at once shushed the man before leaning closer to the mirror.

Madeleine pinched Undertaker in the side of his stomach, making the man flinch. A smudge of lipstick went outside the line of his lips, making a ridiculous little mark. "You're being rude to people."  
Maybe it was because of his age. Older people often had little idea of how to be kind, at least that was her impression. Wisely she kept this opinion to herself.

"I'm not being rude, I'm being honest. I have far more experience putting make-up on people than these people," Undertaker objected with a serious face.

Madeleine had to bite her tongue to keep from laughing at the sight. "Still rude. Now c'mere, you have a little spot…"  
Undertaker bent forward under her instruction. With her thumb she gently wiped the red smudge away from his lips, spreading her other fingers across his cheek. He was cool underneath her touch, his skin surprisingly supple for what she had assumed to be an old man. For a moment they paused like that.  
"I really can't read you. I don't even know how old you are, let alone how you know me."

He tapped her nose playfully. "I'm older than you think, let's keep it at that. But… not too old."

"Not too old for what?"

As an answer he took the hand that had cradled his face and ran the tips of her fingers past his lips. The angel felt something tickle in her stomach at the feeling of soft skin beneath her fingers. When he let go of her hand she at once thrust it in her pocket, trying to seem composed.

"Now then, would you care to help me? I'll need a model for this," Undertaker announced, holding a small jar of powder. "Don't worry, it'll look quite natural."

"I'm not so sure…"

"Trust me?"

Madeleine pursed her lips for a second before she closed her eyes. It was only makeup. What was the worse he could do to her? Gently he dabbed the brush across her eyelids, applying powder in smooth small strokes. With his free hand he cupped her cheek, making sure she kept perfectly still.  
With her eyes closed all she could do was concentrate on either the sounds in the shop or the feeling of Undertaker touching her. Judging from the muttering the women were all giving their opinion of Undertaker wasn't too high. But focusing on the man himself wasn't really helping her much either.

He had moved on to eyeliner, warning her to keep her eyes closed. The callus on his hand pressed against her cheek, his thumb brushed past her lower lip for a moment. She knew he must be standing close to her because the scent of vanilla and dirt enveloped her. The situation seemed to become increasingly intimate for two people in the middle of a shop.  
"Master Undertaker?" she asked, barely moving her lips for fear of upsetting his work.

"Almost done, dearest," he told her in the same hushed way. As he brushed a lock of hair behind her ear his long nails ghosted by her temple. Her knees started to feel a tad weak at the touch.  
Dearest. She was always dearest. She had heard him say 'my dear' to quite a number of people but only she was ever named so. The angel hadn't asked him about that yet. She wasn't sure what the answer would be, or if she would like it.

"Prettier than any picture," he commented at long last, after applying some of the lipstick to her mouth as well. That action had really made her knees weak, the only thing keeping her standing stubborn pride.

When she looked in the mirror she had to double-take. Though he had indeed been subtle somehow her eyes seemed clearer than before. "This looks amazing."

"Well, I had a pretty good subject," Undertaker announced before he pointed at the materials on the table. "I'll take these as well. Thanks."

On their way back Madeleine thought they attracted quite a number of looks, though she couldn't exactly pinpoint why. Perhaps it was the lively conversation between the two of them. When they arrived at Undertaker's shop it suddenly hit her. "You're still wearing the red lipstick! That's why everyone was staring!"

"Am I?" Undertaker wondered. He raised his hand to his mouth but stopped halfway, suddenly stooping down to her. Before Madeleine could react he pressed his lips against her cheek. She froze as he retreated an inch to examine his mark. "Well, fancy that. You were right."

"W…y…h…" From the shock she couldn't say a thing until finally emotion burst loose in one word. "Dummy!"

"You're blushing! Red like a ripe tomato!" Undertaker laughed, mussing up her hair once more. "I can't even see the lipstick anymore!"

"Well, you're blushing too! So who's the tomato then?"

"Am not!" Undertaker shouted, bringing his sleeves to his cheeks.

"Still a dummy!" Arguing like that the two of them entered his store. Madeleine didn't know what to do about the fluttering in her stomach until she had an idea. She motioned him to come down to her level. When he obeyed she pressed her lips against his cheek.

"Awww, mine isn't as red as yours," she complained, though her action did have the benefit of seemingly sending all of Undertaker's blood straight to his cheeks. The tall man averted his gaze from her, scratching his nose while studying his ceiling as if he hadn't seen it in a long time.

"Who's the dummy now, huh? Don't go around kissing men you don't know all that well," he muttered, pulling his hat closer to his nose as if attempting to disappear.

"You're the one who started it," she reminded him, hopping on top of the counter from where she could observe him while he started to rummage through his groceries. "That makes you the biggest dummy."

"When you say dummy so often, I can't help but think of it as praise. Madeleine, I l-" he paused in the middle of his sentence before smiling. "I'll give you a first hint because I had so much fun today."

"You will?!"

He nodded, retrieving the bill from the bottom of his bag. "You were a Lady once, before you died. One who would have acted like you did today."

* * *

"You're late," Tamrat said when Madeleine entered her room. The black angel was sitting at the desk, rocking back and forth on the chair. "Very late for someone who wasn't even supposed to be away."

Madeleine froze, putting her hands behind her back and using her best innocent face.

"Why do you have lip paint on your cheek?" Tamrat sounded genuinely confused about that.

With a gasp Madeleine slapped a hand against her cheek. She'd totally forgotten about the print thanks to her little argument with Undertaker. Furiously rubbing the red stickiness off she tried to think of a good excuse that wasn't a lie. "I.. Was with a friend."

"Hmm, were you now?" Tamrat asked, the beginning of a smile dawning on her lips. "And who ever could this friend of yours be? I didn't know you had a thing for girls. And here I was thinking you were chasing after Lord Michael."

"It wasn't a girl!" Madeleine blurted out before she clasped her hands in front of her mouth.

"Must be quite a character if they're wearing hot red."

The angel slumped to her bed, throwing herself onto her pillows face first. "You have no idea."

"Are you going to tell me about them?" Tamrat continued, draping her arms over the chair.

Madeleine bit her lip, trying to think about what she could say without betraying her friend was mortal. "He's very nice. And funny, even if it's a really weird humor. I like him."

"Are you going to see him again? Spill the beans!"

For a moment she thought about it. If Undertaker hadn't known who she was, if he couldn't give her information, would she be going back?  
"Yeah… I think I will."

* * *

I still have exams and I still hate them. Send me some good luck vibes because I have a real bitchy exam on the 12th T.T  
The shopping trip was inspired by a post on the Tumblr blog theundertakersfinebooty. They were kind enough to let me borrow the idea and turn it into a cute fluff moment, so that was very nice of them ^^  
Also, if someone wants to be a proofreader that'd be cool too? I'm not forcing anyone though. Basically you have to read the chapters before I publish them (you get first read!) and let me know if I messed up anywhere.

Amandalucia : Don't tell me you have exams too right now? Because if you do (or if you recently had them) my most sincere sympathies T.T And yes, being crazy actually is a good thing, and quite fun if you're good at it ^^

NightlyRowenTree : I aim to please my dear ^^ I'm glad to hear you enjoyed it ^^

Guest : Thank you for the kind words! ^^ I hope you'll continue to like the story and keep supporting me ^^


	7. Getting Closer

|Undertaker's Shop|

After clearing out the last cloud of dust Madeleine set her hands on her hips, huffing once in satisfaction. Though she had officially been cleared again for missions the tasks she got were run of the mill; boring and easily fixed, but she used the actual permission to go to the Middle Realm to visit Undertaker once she finished instead of reporting back immediately. With only a few days left to go until Christmas, she spent most of her time with him asking countless questions, wanting to know if things changed much since her death.

Only this afternoon when she'd arrived at his shop the sign read closed. The easy part: getting in, albeit concerned he might have broken a hip. However, she detected no signs of him once she'd gotten inside other than a note he left for her on the table, mentioning he'd be late and she shouldn't wait, along with some papers intended for a 'tiny Earl' should she meet him.

After deliberating for a few moments she'd gone and gotten groceries. With his eating habits, he obviously did not consume the necessary amount of vegetables; something which she planned on remedying. After groceries she'd set to cleaning the shop, once more clearing away tea-filled beakers.

The tingling of the bell on the shop door signaled a costumer. With a frown she realized she must have accidentally flipped the 'closed' sign when coming back inside. Madeleine turned around with a smile but stopped when she couldn't see anyone on her eye level.

"Ahem."

Following the source of the cough, she looked down to one brilliant blue eye of a young boy, quite well-off- judging from his clothes-, though the eye-patch suggested an accident of sorts. The scowl on his face indicated a state of perpetual annoyance, but he was still awfully cute, even for a young boy. So she smiled and cocked her head to the side. "I'm sorry, but the shop's closed. I'm very sorry for your loss though."

He seemed taken aback by her comment before he realized he was, in fact, in an undertaker shop. With a grim look he shook his head. "I'm here to see Undertaker. He had some important information for me and… what's with that look?"

"Could you be the tiny Earl he was mentioning?" Madeleine asked innocently.

Seemed like she had hit a bulls-eye from the way he twisted. Murderous, he looked about the shop, prepared to add a fresh corpse to Undertaker's steady stream of 'guests'. "Where is he?"

"Out," Madeleine answered at once. "But don't worry, I have the papers he mentioned, just wait here a second."

She walked over to the counter, the young boy glaring at her back the entire time. "I didn't know the old man hired an assistant."

"Oh… ahaha, I'm not really his assistant," Madeleine said, gathering the papers in a neat stack. When she threw a glance at them, she noted they concerned a follow-up investigation on the Ripper case. Though she'd been glad to hear about the apprehension of the Reaper responsible, she didn't feel comfortable knowing such a young boy should be involved in it, even if he didn't know anything about Reapers."We're more like friends. Oh, have a cookie."

The little Earl glanced from the cookie to her smiling face. "So, even that guy manages to make friends, huh? You must be pretty weird too."

Madeleine felt her face twitch at the comment. What a rude little character the kid was. "Well, he's very nice. Though his jokes are a bit weird… does he always insist on… you know, never mind, maybe he hasn't done that to you yet," she muttered, thinking about the time she had had to 'shake his hand'. Afterwards, she'd given him a stern lecture about leaving body parts attached to dead people.

The boy sized her up, eyes trailing up and down as if he expected to read her like a book. "At least you don't have his sense of humor. Tell your friend I stopped by."

"Who should I say stopped by, then?"

The boy looked behind him just as the door was opened by a tall, black-haired butler. "The Earl of Phantomhive."

Madeleine watched the boy leave, shivering as something shifted in the air. The butler had glanced her over, almost as if he felt the same thing, before smiling and escorting the boy out. "Phantomhive… huh?"

She thought back at what Undertaker had said, about her time as a Lady. He'd seemed so sure about it too, almost as if he had been there. She only had fuzzy memories of how she died. Shaking her head, she switched the shop sign to 'closed' before walking to the kitchen. The only thing that seemed to be regularly used there was the oven. Quickly she located an apron - frilly for some reason - and tied it at her front. Cooking stains would be hard to explain in the Upper Realm.

She followed a recipe book that, despite looking fairly old, also seemed practically unused, a stark contrast to the note book lying on the counter. When she opened it, she found a list of hand-written dessert recipes, several of them bookmarked with pieces of tattered black or gray silk. When she flicked to the one pink silk strip, she found a recipe for what appeared to be his trademark cookies. In fresh ink, a message in swirly letters scrawled underneath the recipe:

"She still loves them."

After the message, a heart drawn in the same delicate swirl of the handwriting.

The message made her smile; the idea of Undertaker being so sentimental was quite sweet, though she did wonder who the 'she' was. She hunted around the small kitchen for things she needed, the note slipping from her mind. Once the soup had started cooking, she got started on dinner, a simple meal of potatoes, chicken, and spinach. Though the angel couldn't remember actually cooking before, it couldn't be that hard, right?

The moment the soup started to bubble, a cough coming from the door startled her. Turning, she spotted Undertaker at once, looking a tad bedraggled, a stack of books underneath his arm. Water dripped from his long coat and the tips of his hair, as if he'd gotten caught in a rainstorm unexpectedly. He tilted his head to the side, observing her from underneath his black hat. "I'm home?"

"Uhm… welcome home?" She tried, unsure of the answer he was looking for.

He scratched his cheek with one finger, possibly embarrassed. "I wasn't really expecting you to still be here. And you're… uhm… cooking?"

Madeleine nodded. "Yes! You see, you don't eat enough vegetables, Undertaker. And you've been taking such good care of me, so I thought I'd do something nice for you as well. Should I have asked you first?"

Undertaker shook his head as he placed his stack of books on one of the counters, unbuttoning his coat. Madeleine paused in her work as she realized she'd never seen him without it before. Underneath the black coat, he wore a simple black shirt - though the white collar indicated he had another one underneath - and black pants. Only his long leather boots surprised her. She grabbed a towel and presented it to him, looking up at him with a smile. "You should dry off; you might catch a cold."

He accepted the towel, both his hands brushing by hers. The smile on his face wasn't one of amusement this time, but softer, more gentle. "You take good care of me as well."

Their height difference forced her to crane her neck upwards to him, though it didn't feel forced where he was concerned. Maybe it was his perpetual smile that made him seem so non-threatening, though his comment just now made her feel awkward again. "Th-that's nothing. I mean, it's not nothing. But there's just-"

"Hahahaha!" He walked to the side door where he could access his living room to drop off his books. "You're so adorable when you get awkward." He popped back inside only seconds later, his head inclined towards the soup and other pots on the stove. "By the way, have you cooked before?"

Madeleine shook her head. "Not that I remember. I thought I did when I was still alive, but if you're right and I was a lady, this would probably be my first time… did I say something wrong?"

He coughed as if he had something stuck in his throat for a moment. "Then I'd be honored to have your first cooking, even if it's vegetables." He said the last words as if in a distant past, vegetables had done him a great personal wrong.

"Oh, well, the soup is ready so…" By the time she had started speaking, he'd darted back to the living room, leaving her alone in the kitchen. Fruitlessly, she searched for more than some beakers, only turning up with a plain mug that looked like it'd been chipped a long time ago. Deciding it was better than nothing, she filled it up and carried it to the living room along with a spoon.

Undertaker had made himself comfortable on an old couch, boots taken off revealing socks with a dog motif as he had his feet resting on a low table. Peering at one of the new books he'd brought along, he held it close to his face, as if he needed glasses to get the reading done. The towel she'd just given him was draped on top of his head, giving him a rather queer appearance. "The soup is ready?"

"That's what I said just now, but you were gone so fast. Dinner's going to be a bit longer, though, since I had no idea what time you would be arriving." She sat down next to him when he patted the couch, carefully balancing the mug so she wouldn't spill. When she tried to hand him the mug, he shook his head.

"I have my hands all full, see?" he waved the book in the air with two hands.

"Oh, I'll just leave it here then," Madeleine replied, scooting forward to reach the low table nearby.

"But I'm hungry," Undertaker complained.

Madeleine glanced between him and the book. "Then you should put down your book and eat."

With a grin he looked at her. "Feed me?"

"That again? You're a grown man, surely you could-"

"Aaaah!" He opened his mouth, continuing the sound every time she tried to say something. Madeleine glanced back and forth, shifting in her seat. Was he actually serious about this? Still, it was a fairly innocent request. Trying to keep a straight face, she picked up the spoon.

"Just this once then," she muttered, dipping the spoon in the soup. Carefully, she brought it to his mouth but when it touched his lips, he withdrew at once.

"Hot!" he complained, blowing furiously to cool his tongue.

"Sorry!" Quickly she blew on the soup. When she offered the spoon again, he accepted more carefully, though this time he didn't seem to be burning his face.

"How is it?"

"Needs more salt…" he thought out loud before he continued, "...but all the love you put in it makes up for the flavor."

"…dummy," she mumbled before blowing on the next spoonful.

"You always blush when you're praising me like that."

"Only a dummy would think that's praise," she replied. Who had ever heard of a mortal making an angel spoonfeed him? She didn't even know why she was complying, other than the fact that she really did consider him a good friend with a few odd quirks. She didn't point out he wasn't getting much reading done this way either, but instead shifting a bit closer so she wouldn't have to reach so far.

Halfway through the cupful, he placed the book to the side, instead taking the spoon from her hand. "Now it's your turn."

Stunned, she watched him blow on a spoonful of now lukewarm soup before he brought the spoon to her. "Now, say 'aaah'."

She looked to the side, not believing what he was trying to pull. Luckily, nobody saw them like this, or else people might have thought they were a couple or something relevant to that. "That really isn't appropriate."

"Aah," he insisted.

Madeleine could actually feel her cheeks growing hotter by the second. "Are you an idiot or something?"

"Just one bite… for me?" he pleaded with her. The spoon hovered in the air between them, threatening to spill its contents over her white clothes.

Madeleine glanced at the man. The grin on his face showed how thoroughly amused he looked by the situation. The more she resisted the funnier, he probably thought. Resolved to get it over with, she finally faced him again and opened her mouth.

Being fed was weird. After the first spoon, she tried to walk away, but he stopped her once again. After a few more spoonfuls, she nodded, desperate for something to say. "You're right… it needs more salt."

"It's perfect," he claimed, bringing the last spoonful to her mouth. A drop pooled in the corner of her mouth before she could swallow, trickling past her chin. Undertaker leaned closer and for a moment she feared -hoped?- he'd kiss it away. Instead, he brushed his thumb past it, cleaning it up for her. Her heart made a strange little jolt at the feeling of his cool skin near her heated lips. "I'll drink another mug by myself, then. I wouldn't want the rest of the meal you're cooking to burn."

Suddenly, she remembered she still had food boiling on the stove. With a very unangelic swear, she scrambled up from the couch, rushing towards the door. In the kitchen, she just very nearly saved the potatoes from boiling over. The angel pressed her hands against her chest. Surely just because she'd rushed over here didn't mean a fast-beating heart! It couldn't have anything to do with the man in the other room. Closing her eyes, she willed herself to calm down. She denied believing that a mortal would have so much influence over her.

"You big dummy."

|Upper Realm|

"Madeleine."

The angel froze in place. She'd snuck back in way past her curfew but with full hope nobody would notice. Looking over her shoulder, she saw Costel leaning against the wall, his shaggy blond hair only aiding his usual 'fresh out of bed' look. Thanks to his recent transfer to the elite troops, they hadn't seen much of him. "Long time no see, Costel."

"You've been sneaky lately," Costel commented, taking a bonbon from one of his pockets. He motioned her to come closer, handing her one as well. "They're Funtom candy, really good. But that isn't what I need to see you about. Rafael was asking questions about you."

"Lord Rafael was?"

"Don't worry too much about it. It's just that he noticed you've been awfully slow in completing your missions. For some reason, he wanted to know if you felt strange lately. So, are you?"

"Am I what?" Madeleine asked out of reflex.

"Are you feeling sick? That's what I think he was hinting at. Maybe some angels get really sick if they're new." Well, at least this was typically Costel. He preferred asking someone straight out instead of sneaking around to gather information.

Madeleine thought about the question. "I don't think I've been feeling sick."

No, she hadn't been feeling sick. But she had been feeling something. Lately, she couldn't sleep at night, laying awake while her mind kept racing, wondering who she was. Who she had once been. Constant questions running through her mind, demanding answers. At times she felt like going crazy. That's why she liked going to the Middle Realm. The questions quieted down there.

Costel placed a hand against her forehead while he popped another bonbon in his mouth. "You don't feel feverish to me. Still, be careful on your missions. Rafael has some search teams in place. If you go out to have fun, ask me which zones are safe first."

"What?"

Costel didn't even seem fazed at the following facts. "Sometimes angels go out to play instead of doing their job, especially the new ones. Most quiet down after a week or so though. Still, if you're late because you went out to play around, you could get in serious trouble."

"What kind of places do they check?" Madeleine asked, hoping they weren't near Undertaker's shop too often.

The other angel rubbed his chin, studying the ceiling. "The fun places, I guess. You know, cool restaurants or weird shops; circuses, if they're passing through. Lively places with lots of people."

Well, that probably meant a cemetery was a safe place to hang out. Though it was probably a tad sad for her to spend most of her time in a place like that. Costel stopped her before she walked away. "What time are you going to the Christmas party?"

She hadn't thought about it yet with Christmas only just a few days away, but she'd been so caught up in her own problems, she kind of had ignored its existence. "I don't know. Haven't made plans yet."

The idea of Undertaker spending Christmas alone popped in her head. He seemed well—liked enough in his neighborhood by some people but he hadn't mentioned any specific plans. When she thought back to the day they held hands, she remembered he 'hadn't realized it was that time of year'.

He hadn't asked her if she had plans. Maybe he assumed she already had some? But after 200 years of Christmas in the Upper Realm, maybe she could spend the time in the Middle Realm?

"If you could, around nine would be a great time to arrive. Lord Michael mentioned he wanted to talk to you before the party started. So yeah, arrive at nine?"

Something in Costel's words made her want to obey his request. Spending time at a party with fellow angels was surely better for the Light than going to the Middle Realm? An archangel wanted to speak to her. All the more reason to obey her instincts and stay here! Yet there was something in her that dragged her to the Middle Realm.

"Madeleine, be there at nine, okay?"

The words tugged at her, made her want to follow orders. A 'yes' nearly burst from her lips. Instead she bit her lip as she placed a hand against her chest. Her heart beat erratically, trying to withstand what felt like a command.

"I'll… I'll think about it."

* * *

Special thanks to Razzeeberry and the major overhaul they did on this chapter! Like, wow, all these commas. Truth be told, commas scare me. I've never been good with them, mostly because we don't use them that much in my language. That or I never paid attention to them. They also did some nifty things where they expressed what I was trying to say better. It's an intimidating feeling though, giving my work to someone else to correct it. But they did great! (Commas... so many commas...I actually should tell them I appreciate the hard work!)

Amandalucia : Hehheh, I passed most of my exams, except for the ones where I was pretty much dead due exhaustion ^^"

Valogirl : Thank you so much, I'm happy you liked it ^^ I hope this chapter held a nice fluff moment for you as well ^^

FleurSuoh : And this is the next part, enjoy!


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